New Chief Justice of India unveils bold plan to slash court backlogs
Justice Surya Kant, the incoming Chief Justice of India, has outlined key plans to tackle the backlog of cases. With over 90,000 pending matters in the Supreme Court alone, he aims to streamline judicial processes and reduce delays across all levels of the judiciary.
His approach includes mediation, better case management, and a focus on long-standing disputes.
Justice Kant will push for mediation as a primary tool to ease the burden on courts. He believes active promotion of this method can significantly cut down pendency in both High Courts and lower courts. To support this, the Supreme Court of India will provide training for in-house mediators, as announced by the Justice Minister.
He also plans to prioritise cases that have been stuck for 30 years or more. Constitution Bench matters will receive greater attention to speed up resolutions. Additionally, he intends to examine why many litigants skip lower courts and directly approach the Supreme Court, a trend that adds to the backlog.
On technology, Justice Kant asserts that the judiciary—not external pressures—should decide how artificial intelligence is used in legal proceedings. He remains unfazed by social media criticism or public pressure, stating that judicial independence must guide decisions.
The incoming Chief Justice’s strategy focuses on mediation, case prioritisation, and judicial efficiency. By addressing long-pending disputes and optimising the use of judges, the Supreme Court aims to reduce its current backlog. The success of these measures will depend on implementation across all court levels.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
