The Supreme Court of Pakistan is currently facing the highest number of pending cases since the country’s establishment in 1947.

As of June 30, a total of 54,965 cases are awaiting resolution, according to the recently published fortnightly report.

The ongoing summer vacations contribute to the likelihood of an increase in pending cases, as most of the Supreme Court judges are currently not hearing cases.

When Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial assumed office on February 2, 2022, there were already 53,964 pending cases.

During the tenure of CJP Bandial’s predecessor, CJP Gulzar Ahmed, over 10,000 additional cases were added to the backlog.

Despite the vacancies of two Supreme Court judges for several months, the number of pending cases decreased by 2,000 within a year.

According to a statement released by the Supreme Court on February 25 this year, the number of pending cases dropped from 54,735 to 52,450 in one year.

On September 12, 2022, CJP Bandial expressed optimism that the concerted efforts of fellow judges would reduce the number of pending cases to approximately 45,000 within the next six months.

CJP Bandial has prioritized maintaining discipline in the formation of benches, unlike his predecessor.

However, the situation changed when the Supreme Court, under the leadership of CJP Bandial, invoked suo moto jurisdiction to address the delay in elections for two provincial assemblies in February this year.

According to the latest fortnightly report, as of June 30, a total of 54,965 cases are pending in the apex court, indicating an increase of over 2,000 cases since February.

Currently, there are 15 judges serving at the Supreme Court, with two positions remaining vacant for the past eight to nine months.

Justice Musarrat Hilali is expected to take oath as an SC judge in the coming days.

In May of last year, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah identified case disposal delays as the most significant challenge facing the criminal justice system. He expressed regret over the devastating effects of case pendency on families and litigants.

The current state of pending cases in the Supreme Court highlights the need for proactive measures to streamline the judicial process and ensure the timely resolution of cases.

Source: Pro Pakistani