New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- The issue of judicial reforms is hot again. There are many symptoms that point to their urgency. The first is case pendency. Indian high courts and district courts together had roughly 51 million pending matters as of January. About 12% had been stuck for over 10 years and nearly half the cases at both tiers were pending for more than three years. Another 82,000 cases were pending in the Supreme Court.

The pipeline itself has thickened. Between 2020 and 2024, total pendency rose by nearly 20%.

What is perhaps less well known is that the rate of case disposal is quite impressive. Case-clearance rates (CCRs) in 2024 touched 94% in high courts, while a handful of courts achieved a CCR greater than 100% for three stra...