In Brief
The Supreme Court approved a pilot programme to expedite trials of cheque bounce cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Facing a massive backlog of over 33 lakh pending cases, the Court authorized the establishment of 25 Special Courts across five high-pendency states (Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh). The courts will be staffed with retired judicial officers and court staff hired contractually for one year. The pilot will test whether retired judges, magistrates, and retired tribunal officers can effectively handle these cases with specialized training, online mediation, and strict case management protocols. Quarterly progress reports must be submitted to track outcomes.",
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