It is a mantra that every judge, every legal administrator and every politician unerringly cites. The “pendency problem” — or the appallingly large backlog of cases in our Supreme Court, high courts and subordinate courts — is a buzz word that is eloquently used, but rarely accompanied by concrete proposals to reduce the cases that clog our judicial system. It is in this context that the immediate deliverables and workable ideas stressed on at the recent conference aimed at “strengthening the judiciary towards reducing pendency and delays” are so welcome.

At the conference, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily announced the creation of the National Arrears Grid, whose main job is to oversee a reduction in pending cases. Of import is the diverse nature of the Grid members — a Supreme judge, high court judges, as well as a CAG representative and the deputy chairperson of the planning commission. The National Arrears Grid also seems goal oriented — the ministry will submit a report on its progress to the prime minister in January. The conference also threw up other novel ideas, such as suggesting that the courts function in three five-hour shifts (requiring 15,000 new posts) and that retired high court judges and senior lawyers be asked to fill in some of these posts on a contract basis.

Of the many such interesting proposals discussed, here’s one that wasn’t. Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati acknowledged that some of the blame fell on the largest litigant of them all — the government. He also pointed to the reason — officers keep appealing adverse decisions, no matter how absurd their case, for fear of being tainted by a decision to close the file. Law Minister Veerappa Moily had earlier cited this as an area in need of reform. With the government’s law minister and top law officer themselves admitting to this problem, it is hoped that the solution is not too far away.