Bombay High Court devises Action Plan 2024 to clear backlog of district court cases pending for 5 years or more

The Bombay High Court on Thursday released an action plan for 2024 in order to clear cases pending before district courts across Maharashtra, Goa and the Union Territories of Dadra, Nagar & Haveli and Daman & Diu for 5 years or more. .A notice regarding the same was published on the website of the High Court effective from January 2024. As per the same, cases have been divided into five categories - 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40-year-old..The notice states that 30 to 40-year-old cases have to be cleared by the district courts by June 2024 while the deadline to clear 10 to 20-year-old cases is September 2024. 5-year-old cases have to be cleared by December 2024..The Principal District Judges have been directed to ensure that cases pending for 10 years or more are distributed evenly across the courts under it. A list of all cases ready to be finally disposed of should be sent to government leaders, public prosecutors and police stations for ease in proceeding with such matters. .The judicial officers have been ordered to submit a report on the status of the following cases: Cases stayed by the District/Sessions Court and which are not earlier reported. They will be given priority for expeditious disposal;Review cases stayed by the High Court; Review cases which have no dates or are listed on holidays as per the case information system (CIS). .The notice has also urged principal district judges and principal judges at Taluka levels to hold meetings with office bearers of respective bar associations seeking their co-operation for expeditious disposal of these cases. ."'Urgent Case Option' is available in CIS to flag all the cases notified under the Action Plan. The District Level Sub-committees shall monitor the same in monthly meetings and ascertain in how many cases courts have used the ‘Urgent Case Option’ and submit monthly report thereof," the notice said..This action plan would also apply to family courts in Maharashtra and to 'ex-cadre courts' in Maharashtra which include the Co-operative Courts, Motor Accident Claim Tribunals, Industrial & Labour courts for judicial matters. .[Read Notice]