Justice on Trial
By K.N.Kumar
India’s judicial system has come under increasing scrutiny, with the latest India Justice Report (IJR) 2025 highlighting significant disparities in the country’s ability to provide timely, accessible, and equitable justice. These challenges are particularly pronounced in the North Eastern states, where Meghalaya and its neighbours continue to grapple with unique geographical, infrastructural, and socio-political hurdles.
The India Justice Report, a pioneering data-driven assessment published by Tata Trusts and leading civil society organizations, evaluates the justice ecosystem across four pillars: police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid. By measuring infrastructure, human resources, budget utilization, workload, and inclusivity, the report ranks states on their ability to deliver justice effectively.
While southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu top the rankings, the North-eastern states paint a mixed picture. According to the report, the judiciary scores among North Eastern states vary widely: For example, Sikkim tops the north eastern states with a score of 5.36/10.00 while Meghalaya ranks 4th with a score of 3.74/10. Mizoram, Tripura, and Arunachal are behind us. Meghalaya’s score reflects moderate capacity but highlights significant room for improvement. The North East’s unique geography and demographics demand tailored justice reforms, not one-size-fits-all solutions.
Meghalaya’s judiciary faces acute systemic challenges that hinder its ability to deliver timely justice. One of the most pressing issues is the judge-to-population ratio. Nationally, India has about 12 judges per million people, far below the United States’ 108 judges per million. Meghalaya’s ratio falls below the national average, contributing to mounting case backlogs. The report states: “Meghalaya’s judiciary operates with significant vacancies, leading to mounting case backlogs and delayed justice.”
The shortage of judges is compounded by infrastructure deficits. Courtrooms are often ill-equipped, with limited digital infrastructure and insufficient support staff. Meghalaya’s per capita expenditure on judiciary infrastructure is moderate but lags behind regional leader Sikkim, which spends Rs 464 per capita on judicial services.
Case backlogs in Meghalaya remain a serious concern. Though exact figures are limited, the state’s judicial delays mirror a nationwide trend where vacancies and infrastructure gaps slow down the case disposal, undermining public confidence in the justice system. The police pillar of the Justice Delivery Index evaluates manpower, infrastructure, diversity, and workload. Meghalaya’s police force, while ethnically diverse and locally recruited, struggles with manpower shortages and outdated infrastructure. Despite efforts, Meghalaya lags in implementing Supreme Court-mandated CCTV surveillance in police stations, a key transparency and accountability measure. Arunachal Pradesh stands out as the only North Eastern state fully compliant with these directives.
Training and technology upgrades remain critical needs for Meghalaya’s police, affecting their ability to maintain law and order effectively. The state’s unique socio-political context, including ethnic diversity and historical tensions, demands specialized policing strategies that balance security with community trust. Moreover, Meghalaya’s police face challenges in addressing crimes against women and children, which require specialized units and training. The lack of adequate resources and infrastructure hampers these efforts, leading to delays in investigations and prosecutions.
Prisons across India face overcrowding and a rising number of undertrial inmates. Nationally, 76% of prisoners are undertrials, up from 66% in 2012. Meghalaya’s prisons report moderate overcrowding, but the undertrial population remains a persistent challenge. The report observes: “Despite lower prison overcrowding than the national average, undertrial populations remain a persistent concern in Meghalaya.”
Legal aid, a cornerstone of equitable justice, has seen a sharp decline nationwide, from 14,159 legal aid clinics in 2020 to just 4,742 in 2022. Meghalaya’s legal aid infrastructure is limited, especially in rural and tribal areas, restricting access for vulnerable populations. Low awareness about legal rights and limited outreach exacerbate the problem, leaving many without the support necessary to navigate India’s complex justice system.
In recent years, Meghalaya has made efforts to enhance legal aid services through partnerships with NGOs and community organizations. However, these initiatives are often underfunded and lack the scale needed to address the state’s vast rural and tribal areas. The India Justice Report underscores the urgent need for reforms tailored to Meghalaya’s unique context:
= Increase Judicial Strength: Filling judicial vacancies and expanding court infrastructure is critical to reducing backlogs and delays.
= Modernize Policing: Upgrading police infrastructure, ensuring full CCTV compliance, and enhancing training will improve law enforcement effectiveness.
= Prison Reforms: Addressing overcrowding and reducing undertrial populations through faster judicial processes and alternative sentencing methods is essential.
= Expand Legal Aid: Strengthening legal aid services and outreach in rural and tribal areas will help ensure justice is accessible to all.
= Leverage Technology: Investing in e-courts, digital case management, and remote hearings can improve efficiency and accessibility.
The India Justice Report 2025 paints a complex picture of India’s justice delivery system. While some states boast robust infrastructures and human resources, Meghalaya’s moderate ranking highlights the persistent challenges the state faces. Ensuring that the people of Meghalaya and the North East have access to timely and effective justice will require a concerted effort to address systemic issues in the judiciary, police, prisons, and legal aid.
As India works toward meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 – ensuring access to justice for all by 2030—the experience of Meghalaya will play a crucial role in shaping the country’s progress. By prioritizing tailored reforms, the state can serve as a model for other northeastern states, contributing to a more equitable and effective justice system across the nation.
While the report provides a credible snapshot of systemic flaws, I think the report has some data gaps. The quality of data is usually suspect when it is given by the interested parties, in this case, the state governments. Ground realities are often under-reported, leading to analysis not being perfect. Quantitative metrics can be easily tracked, e.g., judge-population ratios, prison occupancy, etc., but issues relating to corruption or procedural delays can never be fully captured or presented. While it is holistic in the sense that it covers four pillars, it fails to look at the quality of the players in the system, be they in advocacy or policing. Also, I wanted to know the exact judiciary expenditure in Meghalaya, but it remained unclear to me. This lack of granularity makes the report less than perfect. But that does not rob the report of any value, because I think it is a good beginning and should pave the way for some judicial reforms, somewhere in the country – Meghalaya included!
(The writer is a former member of the IAS)