SRINAGAR: More than four lakh cases are pending across courts in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Centre, with the bulk of the backlog lying in district and subordinate courts. In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Law and Justice said that, as of July 16, 2026, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir had 44,595 pending cases, including 33,950 cases pending for more than one year, 13,514 for over five years, 6,133 for more than 10 years, 395 for over 20 years, and four cases pending for more than 30 years. The data further showed that district and subordinate courts in Jammu and Kashmir have 3,64,800 pending cases. Responding to the question, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said the disposal of cases falls within the exclusive domain of the judiciary. He said pendency is influenced by several factors, including the complexity of cases, the nature of evidence, and cooperation among stakeholders such as the Bar, investigating agencies, witnesses and litigants.