Pune District Court is facing significant delays in resolving cases due to a mismatch between the number of judges and the caseload, as revealed by information obtained through an RTI request filed by activist Vihar Durve.
The court's current situation is exacerbated by the shortage of judges, leading to an increase in pending cases and repeated adjournments.
According to a decision made in the 2004 Chief Justices' Conference, a District Judge, Additional District Judge, or Additional Sessions Judge should ideally handle 500 cases, while First-Class Magistrates and Junior Civil Judges should manage up to 600 cases.
However, by July 2024, a staggering 53,672 cases were pending across all courts at the Shivajinagar District Court, leaving judges overloaded. On average, each court is now handling over 700 cases, far exceeding the recommended limits.
The district court has witnessed a steady decline in the number of First-Class Magistrates over the past year and a half. In December 2022, there were 27 First-Class Magistrates, but as of August 2024, this number has dropped to 24, leaving an already strained system further overwhelmed.
This reduction in judges, coupled with the increasing influx of new cases, has significantly impacted the pace of hearings, with many cases being repeatedly adjourned.
Despite the appointment of two district judges and one senior civil judge during this period, the imbalance between the number of judges and the volume of cases continues to grow.
The shortage of judges is being felt particularly hard, as the number of new filings in the district court shows no signs of slowing down.
The court management has emphasized that proper infrastructure, increased staffing, and better facilities would help expedite case resolutions, but until these changes are implemented, the backlog of cases is likely to continue growing, frustrating both litigants and legal professionals.
Judges in the District and Sessions Court
Judge Type (Dec 2022) - (Dec 2023) - Aug 2024
District Judge / Additional District / Additional Sessions Judge (24) - (26) - 26
Senior Civil Judge / CJM (25) - (26) - (26)
Junior Civil Judge and JMFC (27) - (19) - 24