Chandigarh, Jan 1: Pending cases at the Punjab and Haryana High Court have declined steadily over the past year, with fresh data showing a reduction of more than 11,000 cases, signalling a break from years of stagnation.
Figures released by the National Judicial Data Grid show pendency at 4,20,880 cases, compared to 4,32,227 in January 2025. The decline has been consistent, averaging close to 1,000 cases a month.
“This is the first time in years that the reduction has been sustained over several months,” a court official said, pointing to a visible shift in disposal trends.
The improvement has come even as the High Court continues to operate with significant vacancies. Of the sanctioned strength of 85 judges, only 59 are currently in position, with several retirements due this year.
Civil cases have driven much of the reduction. Their number has fallen to 2,56,049, down from over 2.68 lakh at the start of 2025. Criminal cases stand at 1,64,831, showing a marginal easing of backlog.
Older cases, which make up the bulk of pendency, have also seen movement. Matters pending for more than a year now account for 83.72% of the total backlog, a modest improvement from early 2025 levels.
Among civil cases, 86.41% have been pending for over a year, while the figure for criminal cases is 79.53%, according to NJDG data.
Second appeals have continued to decline, falling to 46,821 cases from 48,386 in January. First appeals are pegged at 84,456, while writ petitions number 82,802.
Another key factor has been the balance between filings and disposals. In the previous month, disposals stood at 11,413 cases, exceeding fresh filings of 10,132. Civil disposals significantly outpaced new cases, while criminal disposals nearly matched filings.
Court officials said the trend reflects focused listing of older matters and cases involving vulnerable sections, alongside extended hearings and tighter case management.
“The emphasis has been on clearing long-pending cases rather than symbolic drives,” the official said.
While pendency remains above 4.2 lakh cases, the data indicates that the backlog is now gradually shrinking, even under the strain of limited judicial strength.
