Issues relating to pending cases not projected properly: CJI - Hindustan Times

Chief justice of India S H Kapadia on Saturday said the issues relating to pendency and arrears of cases have not been projected properly giving a "totally wrong impression that there have been millions of cases pending". "The pendency and arrears of the cases have not been to the extent as projected," the CJI said on the occasion of the Law Day celebration.

He said he wanted to put the records straight and gave the figure of 56,383 matters as pending in the Supreme Court till November 1 this year.

Kapadia said arrears in high courts and subordinate courts are to the tune of 3.19 crore in which 74% cases are less than five years old.

The chief justice, who lauded the efforts of the apex court in the last one-and-half years in disposing of the cases, said there was a need to make distinction between the pending cases.

He said delay in the disposal of the matters was because of several factors like failure to remove the defects and objections by the advocates.

He said at present there are 40,000 cases which are pending in objection and some of them have been since 1994.

"There are 71% of the cases in which services have not been completed or defects have not been removed and they are not ready for hearing," the CJI said.

He said there are only 8710 matters which are ready  for hearing.

However, he said even the ready matters cannot be taken tomorrow and "you have to give some time to us" as on an average 710 days are taken to complete one matter.

He said serious attention was needed for disposal of matters in High Courts and Subordinate Courts where 74% of cases are less than five years old.

source - http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/774251.aspx