The institutionalised sluggishness of the legal system

For the millions of Indians who have spent years navigating the labyrinthine corridors of our legal system, the courthouse is often a place where hope goes to languish. While high-profile cases capture the headlines and move through the docket with visible momentum, the average citizen finds himself trapped in a cycle of adjournments and procedural hurdles that can span generations. We have reached a point where the phrase “justice delayed is justice denied” is no longer a warning but a standard operating procedure.

It’s time for the focus to shift away from the judge holding the gavel and towards the people standing in the dock. The urgency of judicial reform in India is not a professional concern for lawyers or a theoretical exercise for academics; it is a fundamental human rights crisis that demands a total reimagining of how the state delivers on its promise of fairness.