Law ministry issues directive to cut Centre’s litigation

New Delhi

To reduce the growing number of court cases involving the central government, the Union Law Ministry has issued a set of guidelines for all central ministries and related bodies. As per official data, the central government is involved in nearly seven lakh pending court cases. The new directive focuses on cutting down unnecessary appeals and fixing issues in notifications and orders that often result in legal disputes.

The directive, titled Directive for the Efficient and Effective Management of Litigation by the Government of India, was prepared by the Department of Legal Affairs. It is based on recommendations from a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) led by the Cabinet Secretary.

This guideline applies to all ministries, departments, autonomous bodies, subordinate offices, and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). For CPSEs, the directive will also cover arbitration-related matters.

According to Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, around 1.9 lakh of the seven lakh pending cases involve the Finance Ministry alone. These figures were drawn from the Legal Information Management & Briefing System (LIMBS).

The directive aims to improve governance, ensure public welfare, and speed up justice delivery. It calls for better coordination among departments, reduction of frivolous cases, a focus on legal clarity, and the creation of a Knowledge Management System (KMS) to enhance legal efficiency. The implementation will be monitored by the Committee of Secretaries, ensuring follow-through on key reforms to reduce litigation and improve legal processes.