According to Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) Member Secretary W Diengdoh, about 1,600 cases are pending in the Gauhati High Court Shillong Bench alone.
The MSLSA has decided to initiate efforts to dispose of pending cases by introducing free legal aid and mediation and conciliation schemes in consonance with the provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1978.
The Act ensures that equal justice is made available to the poor, downtrodden and weaker sections of the society, Diengdoh told reporters here yesterday.
The MSLSA, in order to reduce the backlog of cases, has set up a Forum of Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC).
The committee included a panel of 12 persons comprising advocates and retired judicial officers of the state.