2 weeks ago
CJI Surya Kant Flags Consumer Forum Backlog, Seeks Pendency Report
The top judge in India is worried that the special courts for people with shopping complaints are too slow.
There was one case that started in 2019 and was only looked at once in 2022, and then nothing happened again.
The judge said these courts were made so people could get fast, cheap, and fair help.
He asked the head of the national consumer court group to send a big report.
The report will show how many cases are waiting, how many judges are missing, and how fast judges finish their cases.
The report must be ready in two weeks.
State courts also have to send their own numbers about waiting cases.
The judge said state and central governments must hire more judges and strengthen these courts to fix the problem.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed concern over the mounting backlog of cases in consumer commissions across the country.
He cited a media report of a case pending since 2019 that was listed only once in 2022, with no hearing thereafter.
The Supreme Court sought a comprehensive report from the President of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on consumer forums' functioning.
The report must cover pending cases, vacancies, bench-wise disposal rates, and the need for more commissions, and must be submitted within two weeks.
State Consumer Commissions and State Consumer Affairs Departments must furnish year-wise pendency data, with the Centre and states urged to fill vacancies.
- Who
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and the Supreme Court bench, the NCDRC President, and State Consumer Commissions and State Consumer Affairs Departments
- What
- The Supreme Court sought a comprehensive nationwide report on the massive pendency of cases in consumer commissions.
- Where
- New Delhi, India (Supreme Court); consumer commissions across the country
- When
- Thursday (exact date not specified in the article)
- Why
- Prolonged delays have defeated the purpose for which consumer forums were created: speedy and affordable justice.
Key facts
- Court
- Supreme Court of India
- Presiding Judge
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
- Issue
- Massive backlog of cases in consumer commissions nationwide
- Report Sought From
- President of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC)
- Report Deadline
- Within two weeks
- Report Contents
- Pending cases, vacancies, disposal rates of individual benches, need to increase number of commissions
- Case Cited
- Case pending since 2019, listed only once in 2022, no hearing since
- Additional Data Sought From
- State Consumer Commissions and State Consumer Affairs Departments (year-wise pendency breakups)
Quotes
Chief Justice Surya Kant
Chief Justice of India
“"We saw a news article stating that a case pending since 2019 was listed only once in 2022, and there has been no hearing since. Is this how consumer commissions function? What is the point of having such special commissions?"”
thehansindia.com
“"We keep talking about infrastructure and benefits, yet this is how they are functioning?"”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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