Delhi Trial Courts Grapple with Rising Case Backlog Amid Limited Judicial Expansion
In the bustling corridors of Delhi's trial courts, a critical imbalance is unfolding. While the sanctioned strength of judges has seen only a marginal rise over the past decade, the pendency of cases is skyrocketing by an average of over one lakh every year. This magistrate court in Karkardooma is a stark example, where a judge's 40-day leave until February-end has led to daily adjournments for 40 listed cases, leaving litigants in limbo.
Judicial Leaves and Vacancies Compound Delays
This magistrate court is not an isolated case. Across Delhi's trial courts, a significant number of judges are on extended leaves, further straining the system. Currently, 31 out of more than 300 female judges are on long leaves, with 15 on six-month maternity leave and 13 on childcare leave ranging from one to six months. Additionally, two male judges are on paternity leave for about half a month, and two others are on month-long earned or compensatory leave. Overall, approximately 5% of the 736 working judges are absent due to these long leaves.
Compounding this issue is a staggering 161 vacant judicial posts. As of 2025, the sanctioned strength of judges in Delhi's trial courts stands at 897, but the working strength is only 736, according to data from the National Judicial Data Grid. This represents a slow increase from the sanctioned strength of 793 at the end of 2014, highlighting inadequate growth in judicial resources.
Case Pendency Outpaces Judicial Capacity
The disparity between case inflow and disposal is alarming. From 2018 to 2025, the difference between newly instituted and disposed cases averaged 1.3 lakh per year. In 2019, the sanctioned strength was 758, yet the backlog continued to swell. Today, Delhi's trial courts are burdened with 16 lakh pending cases, translating to an average of 2,170 cases per judge.
Historical data reveals a worsening trend. In January 2005, pending cases numbered 4.7 lakh, with a working strength of about 280 judges across three court complexes, resulting in an average pendency of 1,670 cases per judge. Now, with seven court complexes, each judge handles 1.3 times the caseload they did two decades ago, as the working strength has failed to keep pace with demand.
Court-Specific Challenges and Broader Implications
The situation varies across court types. Session courts in Delhi hear only a handful of cases daily, but magistrate courts face overwhelming dockets, with cause lists sometimes scheduling up to 80 cases a day. The scenario is even more dire in digital traffic courts and cheque bounce courts, which can hear up to 300 cases daily, pushing judges to their limits.
Experts like Sarode have criticized the low budgetary allocation for the judiciary, arguing that revitalizing the judicial system does not appear to be a government priority, despite global recognition of its role in economic growth. This neglect exacerbates delays, affecting litigants and undermining public trust in the legal framework.
As Delhi's trial courts struggle with these systemic issues, the need for urgent reforms, including filling vacancies and increasing sanctioned strength, becomes ever more critical to ensure timely justice and reduce the growing backlog.
