Court-appointed special advocates reported an 80% increase in child‑in‑need filings over the last four years and requested county funding for one part‑time staff advocate to clear a backlog and support volunteers.

Commissioner John Wy Price told the court there are 444 defendants at Frank Crowley who have been held for more than 30 days without filed cases, raising concerns about jail costs, case scheduling and classification; commissioners pressed staff for updates and follow‑up.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has introduced a structured docket-management initiative to expedite the resolution of the Supreme Court's oldest civil and criminal cases. The move, implemented on July 13, 2026, involves four dedicated benches that will exclusively handle approximately 800 long-pending matters. These benches, comprising two civil and two criminal divisions, will operate on non-miscellaneous days to focus solely on legacy litigation. The initiative aims to institutionalize the systematic disposal of old cases, which have often languished due to changing judicial rosters and competing urgent matters. CJI Kant emphasized that the judiciary's primary obligation is to deliver justice within a timeframe that maintains public trust in the legal system. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) reports that the Supreme Court currently has 95,911 pending cases, with 37,826 of them being over a year old. The new system allows these benches to devote three working days weekly to legacy matters, free from the regular burden of miscellaneous hearings. This reform aligns with CJI Kant's broader administrative focus on improving judicial efficiency through targeted docket management rather than relying solely on judicial strength. The initiative also complements his advocacy for alternative dispute resolution methods like arbitration and mediation to address the national backlog of over 50 million cases.

Clerk of circuit court Rebecca Metaska Mentek and an unnamed county judge reported a shrinking but still-large docket backlog (the judge said he had 967 pending cases), flagged a statewide attorney shortage, and warned a pending law raising small-claims limits to $15,000 could increase filings and caseload pressure.

Court addresses scheduling changes for cases, including bench trial and arraignment resets.

Court struggles with increased filings and vacancies impacting case clearance rates

Spalding County Judge Thacker advocates for adding a second judge to handle increasing cases.

Chief Justice John Kittredge told a Senate subcommittee the judiciary needs four additional resident circuit judgeships, permanent funding for court interpreters, and a rural courthouse stabilization fund (Bamberg cited) to address growing backlogs and aging infrastructure.

DA discusses need for additional court and staff due to high case backlog.

193 cases are pending before the Supreme Court's Constitution Benches. Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal highlights reasons, IT initiatives, and judicial infrastructure efforts.

Senator Morgeau raises concerns about over 100 pending cases in the Public Defender's Office.

Kansas addresses attorney shortfall, but rising case volumes threaten to overwhelm defense resources.