NEWS – 4^th edition of India Justice Report released by Tata Trusts

HIGHLIGHTS

Judge-to-Population Ratio: Far Below Recommended Levels

• India has only 21,285 judges, equating to 15 judges per million people.
• This is significantly below the 1987 Law Commission’s benchmark of 50 judges per million.
• Result: Overburdened judiciary and delayed justice delivery.

Staff Shortages in the Justice System

1. Judiciary Vacancies

• High Court vacancies stand at 33%.
• District judiciary faces a 21% staffing gap.
• On average, a district judge handles 2,200 cases, indicating severe workload pressure.

1. Police Staffing Gaps

• Officer-level vacancies: 28%
• Constabulary-level vacancies: 21%

1. Prison Staff Shortages

• Officer vacancies: 28%
• Cadre staff vacancies: 28%
• Correctional staff: 44% vacant
• Medical officer positions: 43% vacant

Paralegal Volunteers and Legal Aid

• 43% drop in paralegal volunteers at the community level, weakening legal outreach.
• Despite this, some improvements noted:
  • CCTV installations in police stations.
  • Video conferencing introduced in courts and jails.
  • Legal service clinics set up in prisons.

Overcrowded Prisons

• National average occupancy: 131%
• Projected inmate population by 2030: 6.8 lakh
• Projected prison capacity: 5.15 lakh, highlighting a severe shortfall.

Justice Remains Inaccessible

• Quote by Justice Madan B Lokur: “Burden continues to remain on the individual seeking justice, not on the state to provide it.”
• Reflects systemic failure to strengthen justice institutions adequately.

Karnataka Leads in Justice Delivery

• Top performer among 18 large and mid-sized states.
• Followed by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala.
• Karnataka fulfilled SC/ST/OBC quotas in police (both officer and constabulary levels).
• However, no state met their own women reservation quotas in the police.