'Justice delayed is ...'

In a recent statement, the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud remarked, “People get fed up with protracted court proceedings, the process becomes a punishment.” This stark observation brings to light the urgent need to address the pervasive issue of case pendency in India's legal system. The Indian judiciary is grappling with an overwhelming backlog of cases, which has long been a subject of public discontent and legal scrutiny.

The CJI's statement underscores the severity of this issue, highlighting how extended court delays are not only hindering justice but also eroding public trust in the legal system. As of recent estimates, over 40 million cases are pending across various levels of the Indian judiciary and may take 300 years to clear it at the going pace. This staggering number includes civil, criminal, and administrative cases, many of which have been unresolved for years or even decades. The backlog creates a bottleneck that prevents timely justice, leading to prolonged legal battles and increasing costs for the litigants. Many courts lack the necessary infrastructure and technological support. But the biggest source of delay is the practice of frequent adjournments, often granted for frivolous reasons. As the saying goes, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” and the legal system must cope with the needs of a fast-paced society that we have today.

–N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru