Too Few Judges, Too Many Cases: India Justice Report Flags Deep Gaps

The India Justice Report 2025, released on Tuesday, says India has only 15 judges per million people—far below the recommended 50.

Vacancies in high courts stand at 33% of the sanctioned strength. The report noted a 21% vacancy rate in 2025, putting heavy pressure on serving judges.

Each district court judge handles about 2,200 cases. In the Allahabad and Madhya Pradesh High Courts, it's 15,000 per judge.

Women make up 38.3% of judges in district courts (up from 30% in 2017) and 14% in high courts (up from 11.4%). Only one of the 25 high courts has a woman chief justice.

Judges from OBC communities make up 25.6% of the judiciary.

The per capita legal aid spend is just Rs 6.46, while total judicial spending is Rs 182 per person.

The report also flagged case backlogs. Except in Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Tripura, half the cases in all high courts have been pending for over three years.