The judicial machinery in Himachal Pradesh is under severe strain, with a staggering backlog of more than 6.26 lakh cases awaiting resolution in its district and subordinate courts. This crisis is exacerbated by the fact that 16 posts of judges remain vacant at this level, slowing down the wheels of justice.
State and National Pendency: A Daunting Picture
Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented these sobering figures in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The breakdown reveals that of the total pendency in the hill state's district courts, 4.49 lakh are criminal cases and 1.76 lakh are civil cases. The situation is equally concerning in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where over 1.01 lakh cases are pending, and four judicial positions are unfilled.
Alarmingly, one civil case in Himachal's district courts has been dragging on for over 30 years. While the state saw a decrease of 44,478 criminal cases this year up to December 1 compared to 2024, civil case pendency increased by 6,221.
A Nationwide Judicial Logjam
The problem is not isolated to Himachal Pradesh. It reflects a pan-India challenge. Across the country, district courts are burdened with a colossal 4.80 crore pending cases, while high courts have 63.31 lakh cases awaiting adjudication. Judicial vacancies remain a critical bottleneck nationwide, with 4,855 posts vacant in district courts and 297 in high courts.
Even the Supreme Court is not immune, with 90,694 pending cases as of December 1, though it has only one vacant judge's post. The national data paints a grim picture of delayed justice:
- Over 687 civil and 449 criminal cases pending for more than 50 years in district courts.
- 4,127 civil and 5,175 criminal cases pending for over 40 years.
- 22,909 civil and 4,779 criminal cases pending for over 30 years.
Uttar Pradesh Tops the List, Minister Clarifies Process
Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, leads in judicial pendency. Its district courts are handling 95.05 lakh criminal cases and 18.01 lakh civil cases. The Allahabad High Court has 11.66 lakh pending cases. The state also faces the largest deficit in judicial manpower, with 1,055 vacancies in district courts and 50 in the high court.
In his response, Minister Meghwal reiterated that the responsibility for filling vacancies in district and subordinate courts lies with the respective state governments and high courts. He outlined the constitutional process where state governments, after consulting their high courts, frame rules for recruiting judicial officers. He also referenced the Supreme Court's 2007 decision in the 'Malik Mazhar Sultan' case, which prescribed fixed timelines for judicial appointments that states and high courts are mandated to follow.
The mounting backlog across India underscores an urgent need to address systemic issues, including filling judicial vacancies and streamlining court processes, to ensure timely delivery of justice for millions of citizens.
