Lead paper of the month · Law
Swift Justice in Modern Courts: The Authoritativeness of Accelerated Trials Amid Judicial Backlog
IJAR · Vol XVI · Issue VIDOI 10.36106/ijar/4600Pages 1–4Open Access
The persistent backlog of cases in Indian courts has renewed scholarly and policy interest in accelerated-trial mechanisms as a route to timely justice. This study examines how expedited procedures — fast-track courts, day-to-day hearings, and statutory timelines — affect both the speed of disposal and the perceived authoritativeness of the resulting judgments.
Using a doctrinal method supported by recent procedural reforms and reported case data, the paper argues that while acceleration measurably improves clearance rates, its legitimacy depends on preserving procedural fairness. Acceleration is most defensible where it removes avoidable delay rather than where it curtails a substantive hearing.
The findings suggest a calibrated model in which speed and due process are treated as complementary rather than competing objectives — a framework the author contends is the most durable path to reducing pendency without eroding the authority of the courts.