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Government

Law Ministry Urges Govt Departments to Act as 1.45 Lakh Contempt Cases Pile Up

The Ministry has formally requested all ministries and departments to prioritize compliance with judicial directives.

Law Ministry Urges Govt Departments to Act as 1.45 Lakh Contempt Cases Pile Up

Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal. Image: X/@arjunrammeghwal

The Union Law and Justice Ministry has called on all government ministries to strengthen compliance with judicial orders, following the backlog of approximately 1.45 lakh contempt cases in the Supreme Court and various High Courts. This initiative seeks to curb the rising number of contempt petitions filed against the government.

Under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, civil contempt is defined as the wilful disobedience of any judgment, decree, order, direction, writ, or other court processes, as well as the violation of an undertaking given to a court.

Criminal contempt, on the other hand, includes publications that scandalize or undermine the authority of the judiciary, obstruct the course of justice, or interfere with legal proceedings.

Since the government is the largest litigant in the country, a significant portion of these pending contempt cases involves various Union and state ministries and departments.

Recognizing this issue, the Law Ministry recently sent a communication to all ministries and departments, urging them to establish a Compliance Mechanism to ensure the timely execution of court orders and thereby curb the rising number of contempt cases, The Indian Express reported.

The ministry’s letter, dated January 3, 2025, referenced a statement made by Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal in the House on December 4, 2024. Dr. Mittal had highlighted the increasing number of contempt cases in India as an urgent issue, advocating for a structured compliance system to ensure that court orders are implemented efficiently and justice is not delayed.

He also emphasized that litigants often struggle with lengthy legal battles, and even after securing favourable verdicts, they must navigate bureaucratic hurdles or file contempt petitions to enforce court orders—an injustice in itself.

Although ministries are required to respond to parliamentary concerns raised under Special Mentions, they are not necessarily obligated to implement the recommendations. However, in light of Dr. Mittal’s remarks, the Law Ministry has formally requested all ministries and departments to prioritize compliance with judicial directives.

“In this regard, all the Ministries/Departments are requested to kindly look into this matter and also to establish a Compliance Mechanism for effective timely implementation of judicial orders which will thereby reduce the contempt cases in the country,” the ministry wrote, reported the newspaper.

As per the National Judicial Data Grid, as of January 2025, 942 contempt cases—both civil and criminal—were pending before the Supreme Court, while 1.44 lakh were awaiting resolution in various High Courts. Alarmingly, nearly 60% of these cases are concentrated in just six High Courts: Calcutta, Allahabad, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh.

The Law Commission of India, in its 2018 report, reaffirmed the significance of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, stating that maintaining the dignity and authority of judicial institutions is critical for the administration of justice.

“The law for contempt, with power of imposing punishment, ensures respect for the courts in the eyes of the public by guaranteeing sanction against conduct which might assail the honour of the courts. Indeed, the courts must be able to discharge their functions without fear or favour,” the report said.

With the Law Ministry's latest directive, it remains to be seen whether government departments will take concrete steps to improve compliance and reduce the growing backlog of contempt cases.

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