Kathmandu, July 19 -- The Gen Z protests that swept across the country on September 8 and 9 last year have severely hit the country's judicial system. With courts operating under significant limitations, the national case clearance rate plummeted to just 55 percent in the fiscal year 2025-2026.

According to the Supreme Court, out of the 357,023 pending cases lodged with various tiers across the country, only 196,474 were settled, leaving a backlog of 160,549 cases. This marks a sharp decline from the previous year's overall clearance rate of 65.69 percent.

The Supreme Court recorded the lowest performance, settling only 29.46 percent of its cases in 2025-26, compared to 42 percent in 2024-25. High courts wrapped up 70.36 percent of thei...