Let's file a case and wait! More than 20 lakh cases are pending in courts

KOCHI: 'Nna Thaan Case Kodu '(If so, sue me)...just like the title of this Malayalam film, if we file a case and reach the court, we will have to wait endlessly to know the verdict! Even cases that are over 50 years old are still pending. More than 20 lakh cases are pending in the high court and lower courts in the state. The number of pending cases stood at 16 lakh in the year 2019.

Some civil cases dating back to 1968 are still pending in the High Court. There are 19 civil cases dating back more than 30 years. Figures from the National Judicial Data Grid indicate that 30 percent of the pending cases in the High Court, both civil and criminal, are five to ten years old.

It is in this context that Justice PV Kunhikrishnan stated in his judgment yesterday that the courts should conduct introspection to avoid the case being prolonged and if the cases are not resolved in a timely manner, the people will lose faith in the judicial system.

About 20 percent of the cases pending in the lower courts are five to ten years old. Thiruvananthapuram district has the highest number of pending cases - 3.82 lakh. Ernakulam district, which had the highest number of pending cases as of 2019, is now in the second position - 2.99 lakh. The number of pending cases in Kollam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts is more than one lakh.

Pending cases

In High Court

Civil Cases: 1,59,354

Criminal cases: 40,261

Total: 1,99,615

In lower courts

Civil Cases: 5,13,179

Criminal cases: 13,41,888

Total: 18,55,067