CJI to HCs: Why make litigants rush to Supreme Court for early hearings
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has expressed concern over the increasing trend of litigants bypassing High Courts to seek urgent hearings in the Supreme Court. He emphasized the need for institutional autonomy and addressed the massive backlog of cases across the Indian judiciary.
Why it matters
The judicial backlog and the pressure on the Supreme Court highlight systemic inefficiencies in the Indian legal system that affect access to justice.
NEW DELHI Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday (November 1, 2026) flagged a “growing tendency” among litigants to approach the Supreme Court with requests to speed up justice delivery in State High Courts. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/481-crore-cases-pending-in-courts-across-the-country-says-supreme-court-judge/article70908487.ece “We are witnessing a growing tendency of litigants approaching the Supreme Court requesting directions for urgent listing or early hearing of matters pending before the High Courts,” Chief Justice Kant said in an address at the Kerala High Court. His remarks are significant, as 65,54,788 cases are pending in High Courts across the country. The pendency in the Supreme Court is dangerously close to an unprecedented one-lakh mark, with a backlog hovering at 97,201 cases. The increase in the number of judges from 34 to 38 (including the Chief Justice of India) has not stemmed the steady northward progress of pendency.
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Chief Justice Cites Growing Trend of Litigants Seeking Early Hearings
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