In Brief
This case addressed delays in criminal cases, particularly a writ petition pending for six years. The Supreme Court examined the root cause of judicial delays—inadequate judge strength—and set directions for calculating required judicial strength using an interim weighted disposal method. The Court directed High Courts to adopt the National Court Management Systems Committee's approach, which combines the Law Commission's disposal rate method with the unit system to account for case complexity. State governments must cooperate to implement these recommendations and release allocated funds within three months. High Courts must create necessary infrastructure for existing and enhanced judge strength. The Court recognized ground realities affecting disposal rates and emphasized that access to justice under Article 21 cannot be undermined by prolonged delays."
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