Social reasons for and repercussions of judicial delays in Subordinate Courts of Karachi: the need for sociological analysis

The problem of judicial delays is universal. It is a phenomenon that occurs across the world in all judicial systems. Being a developing country, the issue of judicial delays is also a persistent issue in the justice dispensing system of Pakistan. This study aims to find out the reasons for and repercussions of the process of judicial delays from a socio-legal perspective and highlights the need for a sociological analysis for the same. In a quantitative approach, this study was conducted in the lower courts of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The study reveals that in addition to administrative and procedural hindrances, the social reasons are also contributing to the phenomenon of delays of proceedings in the judiciary. Poverty, corruption, discrimination, and friendship are among these social reasons, whereas the adoption of unrecognised ways of dispute solutions like jirga and panchayat, loss of public trust, individual disorganisation and financial damages are identified as the social repercussions of judicial delays. Finally, the research identifies that judicial delays are a social problem and further investigations are required to determine possible remedies.