Rising Tide: Judicial Backlog Crisis Deepens

The number of pending cases in district and subordinate courts has surged by over nine lakh in the last 11 months, primarily due to a shortage of 5,245 judicial officers, as informed by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Rajya Sabha. Civil and criminal cases contribute to the swelling figures.

The judicial system is grappling with an increasing backlog as the number of pending cases in district and subordinate courts has shot up by over nine lakh in the past 11 months.

On Thursday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal addressed the Rajya Sabha, highlighting that the pending cases had risen from more than 4.44 crore at the beginning of the year to over 4.53 crore by November 15.

A significant shortage of 5,245 judicial officers in the subordinate and district judiciary is contributing to this crisis, with civil cases at 1.10 crore and criminal cases at 3.43 crore, based on data from the National Judicial Data Grid.

(With inputs from agencies.)