CJI-designate Justice Surya Kant vows major reforms to tackle India’s 5 crore pending cases. He prioritizes mediation, constitutional benches, reducing government litigation, and strengthening lower courts to enhance judicial efficiency and modernize the justice system nationwide.
Chief Justice of India (CJI)-designate Justice Surya Kant has vowed to make judicial backlog reduction his primary mission, as he prepares to take oath on Monday as the 53rd Chief Justice of India. Speaking with mediapersons on Saturday, he outlined a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy to tackle the staggering pile of more than 5 crore pending cases across all courts in the country.
Justice Surya Kant, 63, emphasized that improving judicial efficiency, strengthening mediation frameworks, and reviving long-awaited Constitution Benches will form the backbone of his reform approach. His remarks come at a time when the justice delivery system is under immense pressure due to rising case pendency and persistent vacancies in lower courts.
“We would work on how to reduce the pending cases in the Supreme Court and courts across the country,” he said, identifying the issue as a national priority. He added that immediately after taking the oath, he would hold discussions with all High Courts to pinpoint administrative hurdles that are preventing lower courts from functioning smoothly. “The first step will be to identify the problems that obstruct hearings at the subordinate level,” he noted.
One of the key aspects highlighted by the incoming CJI is the need to address the issue of government litigation. Noting that the government remains the “largest party” in Indian courts, he stressed the importance of reducing unnecessary litigation and promoting quicker dispute resolution with government agencies. “Efforts will be made to address the volume of cases where the government is a party,” he said.
Constitution Benches to Be Formed Soon
Justice Surya Kant also announced a renewed push to set up Constitution Benches of five, seven, and nine judges to hear crucial matters that have been pending for years. Many landmark cases—touching issues of federalism, civil liberties, and constitutional interpretation—have remained undecided for long periods due to delays in forming larger benches. He assured that these benches will be constituted “in the coming weeks” to clear significant judicial bottlenecks.
Mediation to Be Strengthened Nationwide
The CJI-designate placed strong emphasis on institutionalizing mediation as a solution to India’s overwhelming litigation burden. “Mediation will be implemented effectively to reduce the burden of millions of cases,” he stated, highlighting the potential of community-level and inter-governmental mediation.
He explained that mediation can play a transformative role in reducing disputes between state governments, and between the Centre and states. “Focus should be on community mediation. A conducive environment must be created for this,” he said.
Cautious View on Using AI in Judiciary
Asked about the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce pendency, Justice Surya Kant acknowledged both its promise and limitations. While AI can simplify procedural tasks and improve case processing, he stressed that litigants still expect human judicial decision-making. “It has advantages, but people also have some concerns. AI can be used in procedural matters. However, everyone wants their case to be decided by a judge,” he observed.
India’s Pendency Crisis in Numbers
According to official data from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) up to July 21, Indian courts are currently grappling with 5.29 crore pending cases, a figure that continues to climb despite several policy interventions.
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District and Subordinate Courts: 4.65 crore cases pending
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High Courts: 63.30 lakh cases pending
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Supreme Court: 86,742 cases pending
Further compounding the crisis is the shortage of judicial officers. As per the Department of Justice, lower courts currently function with 21,122 judges, against a sanctioned strength of 25,843.
To address this strain, arrears committees have been formed in all 25 High Courts to fast-track cases older than five years. Similar committees are now operational in District Courts as part of a nationwide push to revive dormant or long-standing cases.
A Reform-Centric Tenure Expected
Justice Surya Kant’s clear articulation of priorities sets the tone for an action-oriented tenure focused on systemic reform, judicial modernization, and clearing long-standing constitutional matters. As he steps into the country’s highest judicial office, expectations are high that his leadership will bring renewed momentum to India’s justice delivery system.
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