The Supreme Court has directed the Union government to urgently establish additional special courts to speed up disposal of long-pending national security cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The matter is being heard suo motu by the apex court. The case came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice Suryakant and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi.
The bench noted that several NIA cases have remained unresolved for years. It ordered that the number of special courts be increased in proportion to the pending caseload within a High Court’s jurisdiction.
As per the directions, if more than 15 cases are pending in a High Court region, two special courts should be set up; if more than 25 cases are pending, three courts should be created. The judges said these courts must conduct day-to-day trials, avoid assigning additional duties to the presiding judges, and deliver at least one final judgment every month.
The court also instructed the Centre to allocate funds immediately for court premises, staff and basic infrastructure, and to identify dedicated locations in consultation with the respective High Courts.
