Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam’s court system is straining under a massive backlog. State officials confirmed on Tuesday, July 21, that 575,541 cases sit idle in the legal pipeline. This count includes 114,296 civil cases and 461,245 criminal matters as of May 31, 2026.
Law and Justice Minister Sushanta Borgohain addressed the Assembly after an inquiry by MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar. The state currently holds 486 sanctioned judge positions, but 40 spots sit empty. Borgohain claimed the government is actively working to fill these gaps. He noted that some courthouses remain shut because of crumbling infrastructure.
Disposal numbers fluctuated over the last five years. In 2021, courts cleared 35,536 civil and 146,810 criminal cases. By 2025, those figures shifted to 53,348 civil and 195,636 criminal disposals. Lok Adalats also cleared 571,226 cases during this five-year window.
The state operates 40 Fast Track Courts and six Special Courts, yet zero Commercial Courts exist. To process cases involving women and children, officials cited the e-Courts Project, the 181 Women Helpline, Sakhi One Stop Centres, POCSO Courts, the Shishu Mitra Helpline, and Child-Friendly Police Centres. Borgohain stated, "The process to fill the remaining vacancies is underway."
Jails are crowded too. As of July 13, 2026, the state held 7,904 undertrial prisoners. Out of that group, 1,049 individuals have waited behind bars for extended periods.
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