Huge backlog of court cases
ACCORDING to official data more than 4,300 cases are filed daily, of which 3,278 are disposed of. That our judiciary with all its limitations, especially the paucity of judges, is disposing of such a big number of cases everyday is commendable.
However that still leaves 1,051 cases pending on a daily basis which works out to a total of 384,000 cases in a year. We already have some 3.1 million cases till March 31 looming over the judiciary.
The fallout of such a phenomenal backlog is obvious. Victims tend to suffer years of waiting to see any conclusion to their cases which in a way reminds us of the dictum that justice delayed is justice denied. Add to this, the date extensions for case hearings repeatedly. The resulting procrastination raises the number of under trial prisoners, thereby overcrowding the jails. In a way the current situation is fueling the culture of impunity with the rate of conviction remaining poor. The Law Commission chairman held the police "somewhat responsible" as false cases could be resolved even before beginning of trial proceedings if the police had properly investigated the allegations and submitted reports to the courts.
The overarching point to consider is that public confidence in the justice system must be restored by redressing the situation head on. We feel that judicial reform is the need of the hour. Fill up the judges' vacancies substantially, fast track adjudication of cases, introduce alternative dispute resolution methods and shed false cases from the bunch.
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