New Delhi, Feb. 24 -- India's justice system is groaning under a crushing backlog. Nearly 48 million cases are pending in lower courts, while the Supreme Court alone has close to 90,000 unresolved matters. This does not include matters before tribunals and administrative bodies. There is no shortage of lawyers or law colleges, but thousands of judicial posts remain vacant. There are over 4,800 vacancies in subordinate courts and nearly 300 in high courts, leaving the country with barely 21 judges per million people, far below the widely accepted benchmark of 50.

As Chief Justice Surya Kant has warned, "Without sufficient courts, even the most sincere judicial system will collapse under the strain." The consequences are already visible. U...