​As of April 15, 2025, the Supreme Court of India is actively exploring strategies to reduce its case backlog, which currently stands at over 81,000 pending cases. A recent analysis by LiveLaw highlights several internal reforms the Court could implement to address this issue effectively.

Key Recommendations to Reduce Pendency

1. Reforming “Miscellaneous Days”: Traditionally, the Supreme Court designates Mondays and Fridays as “Miscellaneous Days,” focusing on admission-stage hearings to decide which cases merit a full hearing. Between 2015 and 2019, only about 13% of these cases proceeded to a full hearing. In 2023, 89 out of 191 working days were allocated to such preliminary matters. By reducing the frequency of these days, the Court could allocate more time to adjudicating substantive cases, thereby decreasing the backlog.
2. Enhancing Internal Policy Continuity: The Court currently lacks a coherent, long-term strategy for managing its docket, partly due to frequent changes in leadership. Establishing consistent policies across different Chief Justices could provide a more stable framework for addressing case pendency.
3. Implementing Procedural Reforms: While some solutions, like appointing more judges, require governmental involvement, the Supreme Court can independently initiate procedural changes. For instance, amending its rules to streamline case management processes could expedite hearings and judgments.

These recommendations aim to optimize the Court’s existing resources and procedures to tackle the growing number of pending cases effectively.

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