Centre explores evening courts in Delhi, Bihar and Andhra to speed up disposal of pending cases

The Centre is considering introducing evening courts in Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh on a pilot basis as part of its efforts to tackle the mounting backlog of cases and speed up the delivery of justice. The proposed arrangement will allow courts to function beyond their regular daytime hours, creating additional time for hearings and disposal of pending matters.

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal shared details of the proposed plan in an interview with The New Indian Express. The initiative is expected to involve extending court sittings by a few hours into the evening, with the additional sessions dedicated to cases awaiting hearings.

Evening courts to be introduced in three jurisdictions

Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have been selected for the initial phase of the proposed project. The government plans to assess the results of the pilot before deciding whether to extend the arrangement to other states and Union Territories.

The Centre is also considering involving retired judges to preside over the additional proceedings. The initiative will be carried out in coordination with the respective High Courts.

The proposed model is aimed at increasing the number of cases heard without placing the entire burden of additional work on the existing court schedules.

Lok Adalats and mediation among other measures

Apart from extending court hours, the government is looking at strengthening Lok Adalats and encouraging Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms to reduce the number of cases reaching regular courts.

Pre-mediation is another approach being encouraged by the Centre. It is intended to help parties settle disputes at an early stage, before they turn into lengthy legal battles.

These measures are part of a wider effort to reduce pressure on the judicial system and make dispute resolution more accessible.

Pilot project to determine future expansion

The proposed evening court initiative comes amid concerns over mounting pending cases and delays in securing hearing dates. By making additional judicial hours available and bringing retired judges into the process, the government hopes to improve the pace of case disposal.

The performance of the pilot in Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh will be assessed before any decision is taken on expanding the model nationwide. The involvement of the respective High Courts will be central to its implementation.