“Clearing pending cases will be my priority” : CJI Surya Kant

Justice Surya Kant takes oath as Chief Justice of India

New Delhi – “More than 5 crore pending cases across the country have become the biggest challenge before the judiciary. Recording, reviewing, and accelerating resolution of such cases, along with promoting mediation, will be my 2 primary focus areas,” said Justice Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India.

“The Supreme Court is sitting on nearly 90,000 pending cases.”

On the eve of taking charge as India’s 53rd Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant bluntly admits the judiciary’s biggest crisis – an exploding backlog that demands urgent, no-nonsense reform. ⚖️🔥📊… pic.twitter.com/j7cQrrpmHg

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) November 23, 2025

Justice Surya Kant stated :

1. “The number of pending cases in the Supreme Court has now crossed 90,000. I will not go into how this situation arose or who is responsible for it.”

2. “Mediation is the second key area. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways of resolving disputes, and it has the potential to be truly transformative.”

3. “Awareness about mediation is rising rapidly across the country. Recently, major private institutions, banks, and insurance companies in India have requested mediation training for their employees to avoid prolonged litigation.”

4. “Detailed pending-case reports will be sought from High Courts and subordinate courts across India. We will also ask High Courts about constitutional matters awaiting resolution before the larger Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.”

5. “With respect to Artificial Intelligence (AI), caution is essential. We must fully understand its risks along with mitigation strategies. AI can offer powerful solutions to judicial systems — but its use must grow only after thoroughly understanding its potential dangers.”