The report highlights structural inefficiencies across four pillars of the justice system, that may worsen inequalities in access to justice
Key Structural Issues Highlighted
- Police
- Understaffed: There is 23% vacancy in the police force and over 50% vacancy among the forensic staff across the country.
- Suboptimal Women Representation: Nationally, there are only 8% women officers in senior positions and no states/UTs meet their reserved quotas for women in the police.
- The national benchmark is 33% as advised by the central government in 2009.
- Judiciary
- Low Judge-to-Population Ratio: There are 15 judges per 10 lakh population against the desired 50 judges per 10 lakh population (recommended by the 1987 Law Commission of India).
- Lack of Diversity:
- Women: They constitute 38% of judges in the lower judiciary and only 14% in high courts.
- Other Vulnerable Sections: Only Karnataka meets SC, ST, and OBC quotas in the judiciary.
- Prisons
- Understaffed: 30% of the prison staff positions were vacant nationally.
- Overcrowded: Prison occupancy has risen to 131% with the share of undertrials at 76%.
- Legal Aid:
- Declining Volunteer Participation: Number of Para Legal Volunteers has decreasedby 38%.
To strengthen India's justice system, there is a need for tangible incentives. For example, states should be rewarded for demonstrating improvements in judicial vacancies, police training, or prison rehabilitation programs for long-term sustainability across the country.
