ubordinate courts in the Punjab face a shortfall of judicial officers and a worsening backlog of cases. The Lahore High Court recently recorded more than 750 vacancies in district courts. A formal audit from October 2024 had found over 1.4 million cases pending in the province’s district judiciary—1.19 million civil court cases and 217,000 sessions court matters.

The clearly discernable backlog—which aligns closely with national patterns—is not irreparable. The Law and Justice Commission’s bi-annual report for July-December 2023 found 2.26 million cases pending nationwide, of which 82 percent (almost 1.86 million) were at the district level. Punjab’s share corresponds roughly to that trend, suggesting that while pressure points are local, the roots are systemic.

Recruitment reforms in the Punjab—such as the LHC’s 2024 decision to simplify examination syllabi for civil and session judges—acknowledge the need to retain steady inflows of new judicial officers. Over time, these changes should alleviate strain on cause lists, reduce adjournments and improve access to prompt hearings, especially in tehsil-level courts.

Talking to The News on Sunday, Hafizabad District Bar Association president Chaudhry Usman Afzal Chattha said that a single civil judge often handles more than 100 complaints in a day. “The daily cause list is extremely long so that the judicial officers are overburdened. On the other hand busy lawyers sometimes have to manage around 25 cases in a single day. The pressure inevitably results in poor focus,” he noted. Chattha added that it typically takes a civil court four to five years to decide a case. Proceedings in district and higher courts take even longer. “We need more judges at both the lower and high court levels to address the backlog of cases,” he said.

Operational measures are proceeding alongside structural ones. The LHC’s physical audit not only measured pendency but also laid foundations for a data-driven reduction plan. On the national stage, the Supreme Court’s case-management system continues to evolve. Although a recent report noted that despite eight new judges at the apex, case loads have not dropped beneath 57,000 pending cases. Legal experts suggest that a consistent disposal rate—even a marginal one of about 3,000 cases per year—can reduce the backlog over time.

Together, these developments reflect a system engaged in steady reform. The courts are not in freefall. Instead, they are part of a larger, multi-tiered effort involving recruitment, infrastructure, digital measures and case-management practices. The Supreme Court’s emphasis on citizen-focused judicial infrastructure, and its broader reforms, is echoed in LHC’s focused steps at the district level.

The Law and Justice Commission’s bi-annual report for July-December 2023 found 2.26 million cases pending nationwide, of which 82 percent (almost 1.86 million) were at the district level. Punjab’s share corresponds roughly to that trend, suggesting that while pressure points are local, the roots are systemic.

For the Punjab, the effective path forward lies in measurable, iterative progress: sustained recruitments to fill judge vacancies; continued simplification of entry exams; thoughtful deployment of technology for cause-list and hearing management; and transparent, periodic public reports on recruitment and backlog reduction. More than half of planned reforms are either complete or under way—an unhurried but deliberate trajectory.

Talking to TNS, Barrister Hafiz Muhammad Haseebullah said that the backlog of cases is particularly severe in urban areas. “There is a shortage of civil judges and magistrates everywhere. The situation is especially critical in cities like Multan, where a large population generates more litigation,” he observed. He also attributed part of the problem to policing practices. “In recent years, we have seen the police automatically register an FIR for nearly every distress call made to their 15 helpline. While some of these require adjudication, many involve civil disputes that end up unnecessarily clogging the criminal justice system,” he added.

For the public, this translates into shorter waits for resolution, more accessible judges at the grassroots level and increased clarity around court performance. A family dispute that might once tread slowly for years could find more timely hearings. A small landlord’s eviction case may reach judgment in a more predictable timeframe. At the district level, these are changes that matter most.

The ongoing legal reforms suggest that the justice system is recalibrating rather than collapsing. The pace may not grab headlines, but it shows signs of durable improvement.

One factor that will shape judicial capacity in the Punjab in the long run is the pace and consistency of new appointments. The LHC’s 2024 decision to simplify the examination process for civil and sessions judges was not an ad hoc measure but part of a broad acknowledgment that the recruitment pipeline must be kept open and efficient. As more candidates enter the system, the gains will accumulate—first in the form of shorter cause lists and fewer adjournments and later in greater public confidence in prompt adjudication. This measured approach will also allow the judiciary to maintain training standards, ensuring that the speed of recruitment does not compromise the quality of decisions. Combined with digital case-management tools and periodic performance audits, it is a strategy designed to yield steady, sustainable reductions in backlog without overburdening existing resources.

The writer is an advocate of the Lahore High Court. He can be reached at ravian36@gmail.com.