Assam’s Law and Justice Minister, Sushanta Borgohain, informed the state Assembly that there are more than 5.75 lakh pending cases in the state’s courts, with 40 judicial positions unfilled. The state has a sanctioned strength of 486 judicial officers, of which 446 positions are currently occupied, leaving 40 vacant.
Minister Borgohain mentioned that efforts are underway to fill the vacant judicial posts. He highlighted that some courts are non-operational due to insufficient infrastructure, impacting the judicial system in certain regions. Official data presented in the Assembly revealed a total of 5,75,541 pending cases in Assam as of May 31, 2026.
The pending cases consist of 1,14,296 civil cases and 4,61,245 criminal cases. The state government also shared information on case disposal by subordinate courts over the past five years. In 2021, courts resolved 35,536 civil cases and 1,46,810 criminal cases, with numbers increasing in subsequent years.
Assam currently operates 40 fast track courts and six Special Courts, but lacks commercial courts. The government has implemented various measures to expedite cases involving women and children, such as the 181 Women Helpline and the e-Courts Project. Additionally, Lok Adalats have resolved 5,71,226 cases in the last five years, contributing to reducing judicial backlog.
