Assam has 5,75,541 cases pending across its courts, while 40 judicial posts remain vacant, the state government informed the Assembly on Tuesday, July 21.
Replying to an unstarred question from MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Law and Justice Minister Sushanta Borgohain said the state has 486 sanctioned judicial posts, of which 446 are currently occupied. He said the process of filling the remaining 40 vacancies was underway, while inadequate infrastructure had left some courts non-functional.
According to data presented before the House, Assam had 1,14,296 civil cases and 4,61,245 criminal cases pending as of May 31, 2026.
The minister also shared data on case disposal by subordinate courts over the past five years. In 2021, courts disposed of 35,536 civil cases and 1,46,810 criminal cases. The figures increased to 45,184 civil and 2,26,175 criminal cases in 2022, followed by 45,555 civil and 3,27,728 criminal cases in 2023.
In 2024, subordinate courts disposed of 50,483 civil cases and 2,33,399 criminal cases, while the figures for 2025 stood at 53,348 civil cases and 1,95,636 criminal cases.
The government also informed the Assembly that 40 Fast Track Courts and six Special Courts were functioning in Assam. However, the state currently has no Commercial Courts.
To speed up the disposal of cases involving women and children, the government said several measures had been implemented, including the 181 Women Helpline, Sakhi One Stop Centres, POCSO Courts, Child-Friendly Police Centres, the Shishu Mitra Helpline and the e-Courts Project, which had been extended to all courts across the state.
The minister further said Lok Adalats had disposed of 5,71,226 cases over the past five years, helping reduce the backlog of cases.
The Assembly was also informed that Assam had 7,904 undertrial prisoners as of July 13, 2026, including 1,049 inmates who had remained in custody for prolonged periods while awaiting trial.
