Decades-Old Backlog Persists in India's Supreme Court and High Courts
Despite spending nearly Rs 9,800 crore on courts since 2011, more than 10,000 Supreme Court cases linger over ten years and over 80,000 high-court cases have waited three decades.
Investments in judicial infrastructure and technology have not reduced the long-standing case pile-up. The Supreme Court alone holds over 10,000 matters pending for at least ten years, including 558 that have stretched beyond two decades and 26 for thirty years. Across the nation’s 25 high courts, the number of cases awaiting resolution for thirty years or more exceeds 80,000. Officials point to the funding gap between spending and actual case disposal rates.
Why it matters
The enduring case backlog hampers timely justice for millions, undermining confidence in India's legal system.
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