15th September 2025 (15 Topics)
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Supreme Court Backlog
Context
The pendency of cases in the Supreme Court has reached an all-time high of 88,417, despite functioning at full sanctioned strength of 34 judges and increased summer recess Benches.
Current Pendency:
- Total pending cases: 88,417
- Civil cases: 69,553
- Criminal cases: 18,864
- Fresh filings in August 2025: 7,080
- Cases disposed in August 2025: 5,667 (04% disposal rate)
Judicial Strength & Efforts:
- Full sanctioned strength: 34 judges.
- Chief Justice B.R. Gavai designated summer holidays (May 23 – July) as partial working days.
- 21 Benches functioned in batches during this period to reduce backlog.
Historical Context:
- Pendency has been steadily rising since 2023; peak in 2024 was over 82,000 cases.
- Successive Chief Justices, including Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Gavai, have focused on filling vacancies promptly.
Government & Collegium Measures:
- Collegium resolutions stress no judicial vacancy due to mounting workload.
- Government has approved appointments within 48 hours in recent months.
Implications:
- Rising pendency impacts timely justice delivery and access to justice.
- Indicates structural challenges in judicial capacity, case management, and procedural efficiency.
- Highlights need for reforms: increased judge strength, alternative dispute resolution, digitisation, and faster case disposal mechanisms.
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