The Centre plans to start “evening courts” on a pilot basis in Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh to cut the backlog of cases. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal (Minister of State, Independent Charge) disclosed the plan in an interview with The New Indian Express published on 10 November 2026. Courts that sit during the day would extend their sittings by a few hours into the evening, and retired judges are to preside over these sessions.
At a glance
- What: evening sittings of existing courts, for a few extra hours after regular court time
- Where (pilot): Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh
- Who presides: retired judges, as planned by the Centre
- How: in collaboration with the respective High Courts
- When: slated to start shortly
- Next step: the Centre will assess the pilot before considering it for other States and Union Territories
What we know so far
The idea is to use court buildings after regular hours to take up pending matters, so that more cases can be heard without new court complexes. Retired judges would handle the evening sessions, adding judicial hours without drawing on the time of serving judges. The Minister also stressed resolving more disputes through Lok Adalats and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
What is not yet clear
- Which categories of cases the evening courts will hear
- The exact timings of the sittings
- How long the pilot will run, and its budget
- How lawyers, court staff and litigants will be accommodated in the evening
No official notification or press release has been reported yet. We will update this post when the Department of Justice or the High Courts issue details.
Why it matters
- For litigants: evening sittings could mean earlier dates for long-pending cases, and hearings outside working hours for those who cannot take a day off.
- For lawyers: longer court days, and possibly new evening listings to track in Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
- For retired judges: a new role in clearing arrears.