Jammu/Leh, Feb 25: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has put in place a model action plan aimed at reducing arrear pendency across the High Court and the district judiciary, signalling a renewed institutional push to address mounting backlogs in the Union Territory.
Officials said the plan dovetails with broader national initiatives focused on phased reduction of arrears in the district judiciary, including ongoing phases targeting long-pending cases from July 2025 onwards. The strategy, they added, rests on a combination of infrastructure augmentation, technology-driven case management and strengthened alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
Continuous upgrading of judicial infrastructure and expansion of computerisation across courts are central to the reform effort. Creation of courts at different levels and sustained holding of Lok Adalat proceedings are being leveraged to promote mediated settlements and reduce the inflow of contested litigation. In 2024-25 alone, Lok Adalats disposed of 8,68,414 cases, providing tangible relief to the docket burden.
Parallel efforts are underway to operationalise Dehi Adalat as village-level forums to facilitate early dispute resolution. Digitisation of court processes, officials said, has begun to streamline workflows and accelerate disposal rates.
The reform drive assumes urgency against the backdrop of persistent pendency in subordinate courts, where official data records 3,89,210 cases pending as of January-end 2026. Criminal litigation continues to dominate the caseload, accounting for 2,40,718 cases, or 62 per cent of the total, while civil disputes stand at 1,48,492. The gap of over 92,000 cases between criminal and civil matters underscores the sustained pressure on trial courts.
A closer look at the age profile of cases reveals a system grappling simultaneously with fresh filings and legacy disputes. More than 2.38 lakh cases are less than a year old, indicating a steady stream of new litigation. At the same time, 36,849 cases have been pending for three to five years, 25,746 for five to seven years and 20,732 for seven to ten years. Nearly 9,800 cases have crossed the 10-year threshold, while 1,857 have remained unresolved for 15 to 20 years. As many as 424 matters have lingered for two to three decades, and 13 cases have remained pending for over 30 years.
District-wise figures place Jammu at the top of the pendency chart with 77,992 cases, followed by Srinagar with 62,785. Together, the two districts account for nearly one-third of the total backlog in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu also records the highest number of cases pending for over three decades, with 11 such matters. The district further reports hundreds of cases pending beyond 15 and 20 years, reflecting the weight of protracted litigation.
Srinagar follows with two cases pending beyond 30 years and a sizeable cluster of matters in the 10 to 20-year bracket. Other districts with heavy dockets include Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam and Kupwara, while Kishtwar, Reasi, Bhaderwah and Ramban report comparatively lighter caseloads.
Judicial vacancies remain an additional concern. Of the sanctioned strength of 339 judges in subordinate courts, 284 are presently in position, leaving 55 posts vacant. Officials said vacancies are being filled on a regular basis and the recruitment process for 42 posts of Civil Judge Junior Division is at its final stage through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
Taken together, the measures reflect a calibrated approach to strengthen judicial capacity, modernise court administration and widen the scope of alternative dispute resolution, as the judiciary seeks to balance a steady inflow of fresh cases with the imperative of clearing long-standing arrears across Jammu and Kashmir.
