Lok Sabha Question No. 741 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-21
Subject: Pending Court Cases
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH, ABHISHEK SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 741

## TO BE ANSWERED ON THURSDAY, THE 21 st JULY, 2016

## Pending Court Cases

## 741. SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH: SHRI ABHISHEK SINGH:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  cases  pending  for  more  than  three  years  in  Supreme Court, High Courts and Subordinate Courts in the country as on date,
- Court-wise along with the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to implement the "Rate of Disposal Method" as recommended  in the Report No. 245 of the Law Commission of India;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)  the  measures  taken / being  taken  by  the  Government  to  address  the problem of inadequacy of staff and Judges in the judiciary; and
- (e) whether the Government has taken any initiatives in consultation with the Supreme Court for expeditious disposal of long pending cases in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (e): Data on pendency of cases is maintained by the Supreme Court and High Courts.  As per the information made available by the Supreme Court of India, 27,184 cases were pending in the Supreme Court of India for more than 3 years as on 15.07.2016. As per information made available by the High Courts, details  of  age-wise  pendency  of  cases  in  various  High  Courts  and  District  / Subordinate Courts as on 31.12.2015 are given in the Statements at Annexure - I and Annexure - II respectively.

Some of the main factors responsible for pendency of cases in courts are increasing number  of  state  and  central  legislations, accumulation  of  first appeals,  continuation  of  ordinary  civil  jurisdiction  in  some  of  the  High  Courts, vacancies of  Judges,  appeals  against  orders  of  quasi-judicial  forums  going  to High Courts, number of revisions / appeals, frequent adjournments, indiscriminate use of writ jurisdiction, lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing. The Supreme Court, in the case of Imtiyaz Ahmed versus State of Uttar Pradesh & Others, inter-alia, asked the  Law Commission  of India to evolve  a method for scientific assessment of the number of additional courts to clear the backlog of cases.  The Law Commission in its 245 th Report recommended 'Rate of  Disposal  Method'  for  calculating  adequate  judge  strength  for  District  and Subordinate  Courts.    The  matter  is sub-judice before  the  Supreme  Court,  at present. The sanctioned  strength  of  High  Court  Judges  has  increased  from  906 judges in June 2014 to 1079 judges in June 2016.  The sanctioned strength of judicial officers / judges in Districts and Subordinate Courts is within the domain of State Governments and High Courts concerned.  On account of the concerted efforts made by all stakeholders the sanctioned strength of the Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts has increased from 17,715 at the end of 2012 to 20,502 in December, 2015. The Arrears  Committees  have  been  set  up  in  the  High  Courts  to  clear backlog of cases pending for more than five years.  Government has adopted a co-ordinated approach  to  assist  judiciary for  phased liquidation  of  arrears  and ,  involves better infrastructure for courts including computerisation, increase in strength of judicial officers / judges, policy  and  legislative  measures  in  the  areas  prone  to  excessive  litigation  and

pendency in judicial systems, which, inter-alia emphasis on human resource development.

**************

Annexure-I STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED

## QUESTION NO. 741 FOR ANSWER ON 21 JULY, 2016.

| Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in High Courts as on 31.12.2015   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No                                                              | High Court                                                          | 0 to 2 years old                                                    | 2 to 5 years old                                                    | 5 to 10 years old                                                   | More than 10 years old                                              | Total                                                               |
| 1.                                                                  | Allahabad                                                           | 163852                                                              | 188122                                                              | 255660                                                              | 311195                                                              | 918829                                                              |
| 2.                                                                  | Andhra Pradesh                                                      | 87543                                                               | 84913                                                               | 72316                                                               | 25500                                                               | 270272                                                              |
| 3.                                                                  | Bombay                                                              | 80536                                                               | 54185                                                               | 61318                                                               | 50402                                                               | 246441                                                              |
| 4.                                                                  | Calcutta                                                            | 48856                                                               | 41228                                                               | 64330                                                               | 66868                                                               | 221282                                                              |
| 5.                                                                  | Delhi                                                               | 38773                                                               | 13653                                                               | 11854                                                               | 4504                                                                | 68784                                                               |
| 6.                                                                  | Gujarat                                                             | 31129                                                               | 21277                                                               | 21322                                                               | 13344                                                               | 87072                                                               |
| 7.                                                                  | Gauhati                                                             | 14359                                                               | 7537                                                                | 3765                                                                | 287                                                                 | 25948                                                               |
| 8.                                                                  | Himachal Pradesh                                                    | 10863                                                               | 10705                                                               | 4022                                                                | 943                                                                 | 26533                                                               |
| 9.                                                                  | Jammu & Kashmir                                                     | 22916                                                               | 15975                                                               | 14462                                                               | 3100                                                                | 56453                                                               |
| 10.                                                                 | Karnataka                                                           | 131812                                                              | 79659                                                               | 24776                                                               | 1207                                                                | 237454                                                              |
| 11.                                                                 | Kerala                                                              | 58801                                                               | 45119                                                               | 41818                                                               | 11631                                                               | 157369                                                              |
| 12.                                                                 | Madras                                                              | 103248                                                              | 89563                                                               | 60219                                                               | 31398                                                               | 284428                                                              |
| 13.                                                                 | Madhya Pradesh                                                      | 93639                                                               | 74283                                                               | 68795                                                               | 37110                                                               | 273827                                                              |
| 14.                                                                 | Orissa                                                              | 46242                                                               | 41749                                                               | 38739                                                               | 42723                                                               | 169453                                                              |
| 15.                                                                 | Patna                                                               | 57201                                                               | 34194                                                               | 20379                                                               | 16964                                                               | 128738                                                              |
| 16.                                                                 | Punjab & Haryana                                                    | 113585                                                              | 62389                                                               | 52333                                                               | 60044                                                               | 288351                                                              |
| 17.                                                                 | Rajasthan                                                           | 73443                                                               | 59190                                                               | 65440                                                               | 46793                                                               | 244866                                                              |
| 18.                                                                 | Sikkim                                                              | 110                                                                 | 3                                                                   | 1                                                                   | 0                                                                   | 114                                                                 |
| 19.                                                                 | Uttarakhand                                                         | 13205                                                               | 8395                                                                | 4394                                                                | 686                                                                 | 26680                                                               |
| 20.                                                                 | Chhattisgarh                                                        | 18771                                                               | 12529                                                               | 10912                                                               | 7899                                                                | 50111                                                               |
| 21.                                                                 | Jharkhand                                                           | 25101                                                               | 21719                                                               | 22065                                                               | 11534                                                               | 80419                                                               |
| 22.                                                                 | Tripura                                                             | 2340                                                                | 619                                                                 | 77                                                                  | 1                                                                   | 3037                                                                |
| 23.                                                                 | Manipur                                                             | 1714                                                                | 1435                                                                | 160                                                                 | 6                                                                   | 3315                                                                |
| 24.                                                                 | Meghalaya                                                           | 552                                                                 | 27                                                                  | 18                                                                  | 0                                                                   | 597                                                                 |
| Total                                                               | Total                                                               | 1238591                                                             | 968468                                                              | 919175                                                              | 744139                                                              | 3870373                                                             |

***********

## Annexure-II STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 741 FOR ANSWER ON 21 JULY, 2016.

| Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   | Age-wise Breakup of Pending Cases in District / Subordinate Courts as on   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No                                                                     | Name of the State / UT                                                     | 0 to 2 years old                                                           | 2 to 5 years old                                                           | 5 to 10 years old                                                          | More than 10 years old                                                     | Total                                                                      |
| 1.                                                                         | Andhra Pradesh and Telegana                                                | 622506                                                                     | 282212                                                                     | 108166                                                                     | 18631                                                                      | 1031515                                                                    |
| 2.                                                                         | Arunachal Pradesh                                                          | 6518                                                                       | 2080                                                                       | 119                                                                        | 59                                                                         | 8776                                                                       |
| 3.                                                                         | Assam                                                                      | 154879                                                                     | 66632                                                                      | 14916                                                                      | 6076                                                                       | 242503                                                                     |
| 4.                                                                         | Bihar                                                                      | 632787                                                                     | 645972                                                                     | 620527                                                                     | 174017                                                                     | 2073303                                                                    |
| 5.                                                                         | Chhattisgarh                                                               | 134843                                                                     | 82279                                                                      | 45793                                                                      | 23047                                                                      | 285962                                                                     |
| 6.                                                                         | Goa                                                                        | 30036                                                                      | 5503                                                                       | 2353                                                                       | 1723                                                                       | 39615                                                                      |
| 7.                                                                         | Gujarat                                                                    | 742025                                                                     | 562628                                                                     | 448624                                                                     | 388734                                                                     | 2142011                                                                    |
| 8.                                                                         | Haryana                                                                    | 396382                                                                     | 117644                                                                     | 9773                                                                       | 482                                                                        | 524281                                                                     |
| 9.                                                                         | Himachal Pradesh                                                           | 96825                                                                      | 51707                                                                      | 13312                                                                      | 709                                                                        | 162553                                                                     |
| 10.                                                                        | Jammu & Kashmir                                                            | 83151                                                                      | 29948                                                                      | 9525                                                                       | 2139                                                                       | 124763                                                                     |
| 11.                                                                        | Jharkhand                                                                  | 125836                                                                     | 129669                                                                     | 57007                                                                      | 11845                                                                      | 324357                                                                     |
| 12.                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                  | 746141                                                                     | 369469                                                                     | 131383                                                                     | 21973                                                                      | 1268966                                                                    |
| 13.                                                                        | Kerala                                                                     | 955114                                                                     | 304372                                                                     | 77898                                                                      | 7743                                                                       | 1345127                                                                    |
| 14.                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                             | 638716                                                                     | 404688                                                                     | 111980                                                                     | 36415                                                                      | 1191799                                                                    |
| 15.                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                | 1734069                                                                    | 657484                                                                     | 390280                                                                     | 212241                                                                     | 2994074                                                                    |
| 16.                                                                        | Manipur                                                                    | 2213                                                                       | 3473                                                                       | 1150                                                                       | 49                                                                         | 6885                                                                       |
| 17.                                                                        | Meghalaya                                                                  | 2141                                                                       | 2084                                                                       | 2868                                                                       | 400                                                                        | 7493                                                                       |
| 18.                                                                        | Mizoram                                                                    | 3674                                                                       | 866                                                                        | 82                                                                         | 49                                                                         | 4671                                                                       |
| 19.                                                                        | Nagaland                                                                   | 1979                                                                       | 848                                                                        | 604                                                                        | 431                                                                        | 3862                                                                       |
| 20.                                                                        | Orissa                                                                     | 430432                                                                     | 248782                                                                     | 226838                                                                     | 157987                                                                     | 1064039                                                                    |
| 21.                                                                        | Punjab                                                                     | 355164                                                                     | 127977                                                                     | 19510                                                                      | 1377                                                                       | 504028                                                                     |
| 22.                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                  | 674740                                                                     | 423125                                                                     | 273622                                                                     | 107686                                                                     | 1479173                                                                    |
| 23.                                                                        | Sikkim                                                                     | 1140                                                                       | 148                                                                        | 7                                                                          | 4                                                                          | 1299                                                                       |
| 24.                                                                        | Tamil Nadu                                                                 | 557620                                                                     | 352011                                                                     | 131009                                                                     | 42153                                                                      | 1082793                                                                    |
| 25.                                                                        | Tripura                                                                    | 97851                                                                      | 20378                                                                      | 8896                                                                       | 2664                                                                       | 129789                                                                     |
| 26.                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                              | 2198544                                                                    | 1648674                                                                    | 1075769                                                                    | 651503                                                                     | 5574490                                                                    |
| 27.                                                                        | Uttarakhand                                                                | 100523                                                                     | 46457                                                                      | 16237                                                                      | 3401                                                                       | 166618                                                                     |
| 28.                                                                        | West Bengal                                                                | 1276815                                                                    | 817755                                                                     | 389326                                                                     | 134917                                                                     | 2618813                                                                    |
| 29.                                                                        | A & N Island                                                               | 4717                                                                       | 3107                                                                       | 1484                                                                       | 187                                                                        | 9495                                                                       |
| 30.                                                                        | Chandigarh                                                                 | 27640                                                                      | 7452                                                                       | 1167                                                                       | 63                                                                         | 36322                                                                      |
| 31.                                                                        | D & N Haveli                                                               | 2086                                                                       | 282                                                                        | 1153                                                                       | 382                                                                        | 3903                                                                       |
| 32.                                                                        | Daman & Diu                                                                | 1226                                                                       | 221                                                                        | 196                                                                        | 80                                                                         | 1723                                                                       |
| 33.                                                                        | Delhi                                                                      | 335694                                                                     | 128236                                                                     | 55399                                                                      | 20272                                                                      | 539601                                                                     |
| 34.                                                                        | Lakshadweep                                                                | 224                                                                        | 116                                                                        | 37                                                                         | 3                                                                          | 380                                                                        |
| 35.                                                                        | Pondicherry                                                                | 13387                                                                      | 7952                                                                       | 3109                                                                       | 525                                                                        | 24973                                                                      |
| Total                                                                      | Total                                                                      | 13187638                                                                   | 7552231                                                                    | 4250119                                                                    | 2029967                                                                    | 27019955                                                                   |

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