Pendency continues to plague SC as case backlog hits all-time high, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court's case pendency has reached an all-time high of 88,417 cases.
• This includes 69,553 civil cases and 18,864 criminal matters.
• In August, 7,080 new cases were filed, while 5,667 cases were disposed of.
• Despite efforts to reduce the backlog, pendency has been rising steadily since the pandemic, especially since 2023.

Detailed Insights:

• The Chief Justice of India renamed the summer holidays as "partial working days" to address the increasing backlog.
• In 2025, 52,630 cases were filed and 46,309 cases were disposed of, which is nearly 88% of the filed cases.
• Successive Chief Justices have prioritized maintaining minimal judicial vacancy in the top court.
• A collegium resolution in November 2023 emphasized the need for a full working judge-strength due to the "ever mounting pendency of cases".
• The government has been promptly approving collegium recommendations for appointments to the Supreme Court.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Pendency: The state of cases being pending or not yet resolved in the court.
• Collegium: A system of appointment and transfer of judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Disposal Rate: The rate at which cases are being resolved by the court.