Justice on hold: India’s courts are clogged, Pg 9.

Key Highlights:

• Over 5 crore cases are pending in Indian courts: 86,700+ in Supreme Court, 63.3 lakh in High Courts, and 4.6 crore in subordinate courts.
• President Droupadi Murmu referred to people’s hesitation in approaching courts as the "black coat syndrome."
• Judicial vacancies stand at 5,665, with courts operating at 79% of sanctioned strength.
• India has 15 judges per 10 lakh people, well below the Law Commission’s 1987 recommendation of 50.
• Criminal cases are disposed faster than civil cases across all levels, with only 38.7% of civil cases resolved within a year in district courts.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms have helped resolve over 27.5 crore cases between 2021 and March 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• Structural Bottlenecks like judicial vacancies and infrastructure gaps are key impediments to speedy trials.
• Procedural Delays, frequent adjournments, and lack of case management frameworks further slow down the judicial process.
• Despite high case loads, High Courts dispose 85.3% of criminal cases within a year; civil cases lag, especially in district courts.
• Justice delivery is uneven and skewed toward those with greater access, eroding public trust in institutions.
• The National Lok Adalats and ADR systems offer faster and more affordable alternatives to conventional courts, promoting citizen-centric justice.
• Judicial reforms, including increasing judge strength, digitisation, and case timeline enforcement, are vital for systemic improvement.

Concepts Involved:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Includes mediation, arbitration, and Lok Adalats, aimed at resolving disputes outside traditional courts.
• Case Clearance Rate (CCR): Ratio of cases disposed to cases filed; a key metric for judicial efficiency.