Judicial reform shouldn't stop at SC, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• The Union Cabinet approved a Bill to increase the Supreme Court's strength from 34 to 38 judges.
• As of May 7, the Supreme Court has over 93,000 pending cases, a 50% increase since 2019.
• Pendency before the SC accounts for only about 0.14% of total case pendency across all courts.

Detailed Insights:

• The increase in SC judges aims to ease the backlog of cases, but structural reforms are essential for long-term impact.
• The Supreme Court mostly functions at or close to its sanctioned strength, disposing of roughly 90% of cases instituted each year.
• The Court’s expanding jurisdiction and the volume of litigation generated by the state contribute to mounting pendency.
• Justice B V Nagarathna emphasized the need for the government to "litigate with restraint and be a model litigant".
• Courts must keep pace with the rising volume of disputes accompanying population growth and expanding economic activity.
• Prolonged incarceration of undertrials due to delays undermines the right to access to justice.
• India's judge-population ratio remains far below that of countries such as the US and China, where the figure is about 150 per million.
• Increasing the number of SC judges must form part of a comprehensive plan to reduce pendency across the judicial system.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Pendency: The state of cases that are filed in a court but not yet resolved.
• Undertrials: Individuals who are currently in judicial custody awaiting completion of their trial.
• Jurisdiction: The official power to make legal decisions and judgments.