Pendency, Promoting Mediation: Incoming Chief Justice On Top Priorities

Two days before he takes over as the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant has said the two main priorities for him in his 16-month tenure will be tackling pending cases in the judiciary and giving an impetus to mediation. 

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Justice Kant said the Supreme Court alone has over 90,000 cases pending, and he intends to take the challenge head-on as the Chief Justice. 

To reduce pendency in the high courts and lower courts, the judge said he will constitute Constitutional benches on a priority to decide on questions of law which have prevented the courts from arriving at a decision. 

Emphasising the need for healthy practices, Justice Kant stressed there is a need to find out why people are directly approaching the Supreme Court for cases which should first go to the high courts and lower courts. 

Stating that his second priority will be mediation, Justice Kant said many pending cases can be resolved by taking that route. 

"The entire country is talking about mediation today," Justice Kant said while sharing how corporate firms have approached the Supreme Court for training their officers in mediation. 

He also shared that some Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) are lined up to be signed between the Supreme Court and dignitaries arriving in the national capital for his oath-taking ceremony. 

More than a dozen foreign judges and chief justices will attend the swearing-in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. Justice Kant will retire in February 2027.