Withdraw ‘weak’ court cases: Parl panel to govt
A parliamentary committee has recommended that the government withdraw “weak” court cases, citing a threefold rise in litigation expenses over the past decade
A parliamentary committee has recommended that the government withdraw “weak” court cases, citing a threefold rise in litigation expenses over the past decade and what appeared to be a diminishing frequency of “favourable outcomes”.
The standing committee on legal affairs, which presented its demand for grants report to the Rajya Sabha on March 27, noted the government continues to struggle securing “favourable outcomes” in pending cases.
“The committee recommends that the department strengthen the pre-litigation process by promoting the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution and taking steps to reduce frivolous and repetitive litigation,” said the report, chaired by MP Brij Lal.
The panel suggested government departments and public sector undertakings review ongoing cases and withdraw those deemed weak.
The finance ministry tops the list with more than 193,000 pending cases, followed by Railways with 115,000 and the labour and employment Ministry with 80,922.
The definition of “weak cases” remains unclear. A former home department standing counsel, speaking anonymously, told HT: “Withdrawal is not permissible, and only investigative agencies may do that. What are the parameters of ‘weak cases’? That needs to be defined first.”
A law ministry official said that classification would depend on circumstances, citing examples of risk-averse bureaucrats and one-sided contracts leading to unnecessary litigation.
Government litigation expenses rose from ₹26.64 crore in 2014-15 to ₹92.02 crore in the 2024-25 revised estimates, according to the report, which also noted difficulty recruiting “best panel counsels.”
The committee recommended exploring “AI-based Online Dispute Resolution” to streamline the process.