This is a welcome development. It shows that though pendency of cases is a chronic problem with India’s legal system that requires structural fixes and support from all stakeholders, gains can be made through more transparent, disciplined processes and administrative tweaks. This is especially important because during the tenure of the previous CJI, NV Ramana, the pendency of cases rose in the top court from 67,000 to 71,400, though this may be partially attributed to two pandemic-affected years. In a country where the courts often have to be the final arbiters of matters familial to national, a strong signal of efficiency, productivity and discipline from the top court is certain to percolate down the judicial branch and help citizens access justice better, and faster.

Three things merit notice. One, to sustain the momentum generated by this first week, CJI Lalit will need the help and support of not only his fellow judges but also the legal fraternity. Two, to achieve lasting change, the process of listing cases and the reasons behind them have to be freed from the shroud of opacity and arbitrariness. This need for transparency is urgent and important because clearer guidelines on how cases are listed will go a long way in helping citizens access justice. And three, a focus on administrative efficiency has to strike a balance with the careful deliberation that every case needs. India’s top court handles a multitude of cases that range from governments taking up constitutional issues to ordinary citizens who see the judiciary as their last recourse on matters of life and death. Its role as the final arbiter, therefore, demands that every case be given consideration and every petitioner their day in court.