Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity
Why in News?
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has constituted four specialized benches to exclusively hear and resolve the Supreme Court's oldest pending civil and criminal cases.
- Recognizing that legacy disputes are often sidelined by fresh filings, CJI Surya Kant has notified 4 division benches dedicated entirely to clearing the oldest cases on the court’s docket.
- The benches will hear these regular, long-pending matters uninterrupted on non-miscellaneous days (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays).
- This frees them from the daily deluge of fresh "miscellaneous" filings heard on Mondays and Fridays.
- The Allocation
- Civil Benches - Two benches, headed by Justice P K Mishra and Justice S V N Bhatti, will focus entirely on old civil disputes.
- Criminal Benches - Two benches, led by Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, will be dedicated to legacy criminal cases.
- The "Pendency Paradox" - Over the last 5 years, the Supreme Court has recorded its best-ever case disposal figures, showing a highly active and productive bench.
- However, the overall pendency has continued to rise, recently crossing the 90,000 mark. This paradox is driven by:
- Exponential Intake - Increased physical and digital accessibility (e-filings and virtual hearings) has driven up case filings, reaching an unprecedented 75,402 fresh filings in 2025 alone.
- Outpaced Disposal - The rapid acceleration of incoming litigation has consistently outpaced the court’s enhanced capacity to dispose of cases.
Reference
The Indian Express | 4 new special benches of SC
