The judiciary, including the Supreme Court and various subordinate courts, disposed of over 2 crore cases last year, and another 3 crore are still pending with them, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said while the apex court settled 92,722 cases in 2014, the 24 High Courts disposed 17,34,542 cases in the last calendar year.
The subordinate courts settled 1,90,19658 cases in 2014, he said in a written reply.
But at the same time, 62,791 cases were pending in the Supreme Court in 2014. Similarly, 41,53,957 cases were pending in the various High Courts. In the subordinate courts, 264,88,405 were pending in 2014.
He blamed vacancies of judicial officers/judges in various courts as "one of the main factors affecting timely disposal of cases."
Gowda pointed out that the collegium system of judges appointing judges has ceased to exist following the coming into force of National Judicial Appointments Commission Act.
"However, constitutional validity of both the Acts -- the NJAC Act and an accompanying Constitutional Amendment law --has been challenged in the Supreme Court and the matter is sub judice. Therefore, no appointments (in SC or HCs), except those ordered by the (apex) court are being made," he said.
Responding to another, but a related question, the Law Minister said, a total of 382 vacancies exist in the 24 High Courts as on July 31 (today). The maximum vacancies of 83 judges are in the Allahabad High Court, followed by 31 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
