At the ‘National Conference of the District Judiciary’ inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Supreme Court Justice Sanjiv Khanna emphasized the critical role of the district judiciary in addressing the challenges of case pendency and backlog, a persistent issue across the judiciary.
During his address on Saturday, Justice Khanna pointed out the substantial improvement in case disposal rates since 2018, highlighting a significant rise in the efficiency of district courts. He revealed that the disposal rate of civil cases has escalated to 99.61% in 2023 from 93.15% in 2018. Similarly, the disposal of criminal cases has improved from 86.65% in 2018 to 95% in 2023.
“Majority of civil cases, about 38.24%, were resolved within a year of filing, and 71.82% of criminal cases were disposed of within the same timeframe,” Justice Khanna noted, adding that around 11 states have successfully reduced case backlogs by resolving more cases than were filed over the year.
The conference also highlighted the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms like Lok Adalats for traffic violations and the deployment of e-courts for minor offences as steps towards reducing pendency.
Justice Khanna also discussed the potential of judicial impact assessment as a strategy for enhancing judicial resources and infrastructure. “Interacting with the data helps us understand our strengths and areas for improvement. It’s not just the grandeur of courtrooms or technology that defines us, but our commitment to delivering justice with empathy, compassion, and fairness,” he stated.
The conference saw the participation of approximately 800 judicial officers from across India, along with prominent figures such as Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Attorney General R Venkataramani, and others. Justice Khanna praised CJI Chandrachud’s technological initiatives that have brought significant advancements to the district judiciary.
The event, organized by the Supreme Court, will conclude with a valedictory address by President Droupadi Murmu on September 1, where she will also unveil the new flag and insignia of the Supreme Court.
