Economist Shamika Ravi enters SC's working hours debate: '28% more judgements would have been passed if...'

Amid raging debate over the Supreme Court's working hours and summer vacation, economist Shamika Ravi on Monday shared a study, saying that in the life of the top court, if it had worked every other Saturday there would have been 28 per cent more judgements passed till now.

Ravi, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, shared the 2019 research paper that analysed the productivity of the SC from 1950 to 2019. "Our analysis reveals that approximately 14,359 additional judgements would have been passed by the SC if the proportion of judgement days increased by a mere 10%," the study, jointly authored by Ravi and Professor Mudit Kapoor, stated. "This amounts to an increase of approximately 28% of the total SC judgements passed in the lifespan of the apex court since 1950."

The study also said that the court productivity from 1990 to 2010 improved compared to 1980 but declined after 2010. "The empirical analysis reveals that the number of judgements per day is primarily influenced by proportion of judgement days under a given CJI, there was no evidence that increased bench strength has any significant impact on the number of judgements per day."

Earlier this month, economist Sanjeev Sanyal, who is also a member of PM-EAC, sparked a debate after he said the Supreme Court and High Courts work for a few hours and go for a long vacation. "The High Courts and the Supreme Court take leave in summer and then take leave again in Dussehra. What is this system? They work for a few hours," he said during a podcast - Prachayam. 

Sanyal's comment evoked a sharp reaction from a senior advocate and top mediator Sriram Panchu, who said the Indian judges are the most hardworking. "Judges read case papers before coming to court, they dictate orders and correct them after court hours. And weekends just mean work in the home office," he said in a detailed response to Sanyal. "I have visited courts worldwide and interacted with lawyers and judges, and it is safe to say that Indian judges are amongst the hardest working anywhere, and their caseloads are far heavier than anywhere else."

A Vacation Bench of the Supreme Court also expressed its displeasure at the economist's comment and said judges burn the midnight oil even during vacations. "Very unfortunately, despite efforts being put in by judges, it is said that judges work for very few hours. Those who say all this are part of governance; not one matter filed by the Union (government) etc is filed within limitation. Every case has a condonation of delay application. All who castigate the judiciary must take note of this. We burn the midnight oil even during the vacations," Justice Dipankar Datta was quoted as saying by legal site Bar and Bench.