CJI Chandrachud refutes rise in case pendency during his tenure

New Delhi- Outgoing Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud addressed concerns about rising case pendency in the Supreme Court during his tenure at a farewell function organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Friday.

CJI Chandrachud refuted claims of increasing pendency, stating that the actual number of pending cases has decreased by 11,000 over the past two years. He clarified that this decrease is reflected in the inclusion of previously unregistered and defective cases in the public domain, a change implemented during his tenure.

"You probably read somewhere that the pendency of the Supreme Court has gone up to 82,000 cases. I want to tell you the raw data," CJI Chandrachud began. He explained that before November 2022, unregistered and defective cases were not publicly disclosed. Upon taking office, CJI Chandrachud discovered a backlog of approximately 1,500 files in a Registrar's cupboard. He instituted a system of tagging every case with a number and made the data on all pending cases publicly available, regardless of registration status.

This initiative led to a rise in the reported number of pending cases, from 79,000 on January 1, 2020, to 93,000 on January 1, 2022. However, by January 1, 2024, the number had fallen to 82,000, indicating a decrease of 11,000 cases.

CJI Chandrachud also highlighted the significant increase in case filings, noting that over the past two years, 111,000 cases were filed, 533,000 cases were listed, and 107,000 cases were disposed of. He emphasized that the Supreme Court handled 21,000 bail cases in the past two years, disposing of 21,358 pleas.

CJI Chandrachud, who is set to retire on November 10 after a two-year term, praised the dedication of his fellow judges, acknowledging their hard work and willingness to take on additional responsibilities. He will be succeeded by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, whose appointment was recently cleared by the Centre. CJI Chandrachud was first appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000, and has also served as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court since October 31, 2013.