Around 5.72 lakh cases are currently pending across courts in Assam as of February 2026, with thousands of them dating back a decade or more — a backlog that lawyers and legal observers say is seriously undermining public trust in the justice system and denying timely relief to litigants.
According to data from the judicial department, the total number of pending cases as of February 9 stands at 5,72,867. Of these, 54,778 cases are more than five years old, and 9,564 cases have been pending for over ten years.
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Sources within the judicial system indicate that civil cases make up the larger share of the backlog. These include property disputes, appointment-related cases, promotional disputes, and commercial conflicts — categories that have grown alongside the state's rising population and increasing economic activity.
A senior lawyer who spoke on the issue pointed to a combination of structural and procedural failures driving the backlog.
"The main reasons are shortage of judges, poor infrastructure, procedural delays," he said, adding that there are insufficient courtrooms, an inadequate number of judges, and a shortage of both technical and clerical support staff.
Beyond infrastructure, day-to-day procedural issues compound the problem. Delays in evidence submission, repeated requests for adjournments from both defendants and plaintiffs, the absence of parties on scheduled dates, and judges' transfers or leave all contribute to hearing gaps that can stretch to months — turning what should be a relatively straightforward case into a years-long ordeal.
For the people caught in this backlog, the consequences go beyond legal inconvenience. Sources noted that prolonged cases force litigants to spend significantly more money and time than they would in a functioning system, while also causing considerable mental stress.
The familiar legal principle — justice delayed is justice denied — has become an uncomfortable daily reality for thousands of Assam residents navigating the state's overburdened courts.
Sources and legal professionals say the path forward requires the government to increase the number of courtrooms, expedite the appointment of additional judges in proportion to the caseload, and ensure adequate support staff are in place across all court levels.
Without these steps, the backlog is only likely to grow.