Centre Proposes Evening Courts Initiative To Clear Pending Cases

New Delhi: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has announced a proposal to set up evening courts staffed by retired judges to speed up the disposal of long-pending cases.

The evening courts will be launched on a pilot basis in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. The Minister shared details of the initiative in a recent interview. The announcement comes amid growing concern over mounting pendency in courts across the country and the urgent need to improve the pace of judicial proceedings.

Under the proposal, courts functioning during regular daytime hours will extend sittings by a few additional hours in the evening to hear pending matters and accelerate disposal. The initiative will be taken up in collaboration with the respective High Courts.

Apart from extending court working hours, the Union Government is also looking at alternative mechanisms like Lok Adalats and promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to reduce the burden on the judiciary.

The Minister also highlighted that the government is focusing on pre-mediation, which can help resolve disputes before they turn into prolonged litigation.