Allahabad HC biggest contributor to backlog of decades-old cases

The Allahabad High Court has 53,787 cases pending over 30 years, making it the biggest contributor to decades-old backlog among high courts.

The high court has 1.22 million total pending cases, the highest among all high courts, with about 88% over a year old.

The Allahabad High Court accounts for about 67% of all 30-year-old pending cases in high courts, while the next highest is Calcutta High Court with 11,417.

As of July 16, 2026, high courts collectively had 80,660 cases pending over 30 years, with Allahabad alone holding more than half.

The court has only 108 judges against a sanctioned strength of 160, leaving 52 vacancies.