Jammu & Kashmir High Court Adopts Fresh Measures To Reduce Long Pending Cases

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High on Friday issued an Office Order with measures to reduce the arrears of pending cases in the High Court.

Passing instructions on the subject, a notification to this effect issued by the Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh reads that all final hearing matters above 10 years shall be listed on Tuesday and Thursday, and these days shall be kept exclusive as Final Hearing Days on which days no other non-hearing matter will be taken unless permitted by the Chief Justice.

Directing such matters shall be reflected in the cause list as "Target Cases", the notification further reads that the cases which are more than 20 years old shall remain on board of the roster bench till final disposal.

Regarding the listing of urgent matters on the final hearing days i.e., Tuesday and Thursday, the notification directs that the urgent matters shall be listed before the roster benches, subject to mentioning. For the time being, admission and order matters, which are listed on Final Hearing Days because of earlier judicial orders shall be taken up only after the final hearing matters are concluded, the notification underscores.

The notification also prescribes for a fast track Single Bench to be constituted from time to time in both Wings of the High Court to hear the "Target cases" irrespective of roster.

Directing the Bench Secretaries/Readers of the respective Courts to ensure that in future, only final hearing matters are fixed on Tuesday and Thursday, the notification goes on to add that they shall also ensure that CIS calendar is strictly followed and the number of cases listed before the bench shall not ordinarily exceed 70.

Click Here To Read The Notification