The Jammu And Kashmir High Court in the case observed and has issued an Office Order with regards to the measures need to be taken to reduce the arrears of pending cases in the High Court.
The Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh issued a notification while passing instruction on the subject, wherein the notification read that all the final hearing matters above 10 years shall be listed on Tuesday and Thursday, and these days are to be kept exclusive as Final Hearing Days on which days no other non-hearing matter will be taken up unless it is permitted by the Chief Justice.
The court while directing such matters to be reflected in the cause list as Target Cases. Further, the notification also read that the case which are more than 20 years old shall remain on board of the roster bench till the final disposal of the case.
The notification stated that urgent matters are to be listed on the final hearing days i.e., Tuesday and Thursday, wherein further directing that the urgent matters shall be listed before the roster benches, subject to mentioning. Thus, for the time being, admission and order matters, the matters are to be listed on Final Hearing Days because of earlier judicial orders shall be taken up only after the final hearing matters are concluded.
The notification issued also stated that there is a need of a fast-track Single Bench and the same is to be constituted from time to time in both Wings of the High Court in order to hear the Target cases irrespective of the roaster.
The notification read wherein it directed the Bench Secretaries or Readers of the respective Courts to ensure the same in future and only the final hearing matters are fixed on Tuesday and Thursday. It has also been added in the said notification that they shall also ensure that CIS calendar which is strictly being followed and the number of cases listed before the bench shall not ordinarily exceed 70.
