Smarter Scheduling, Not More Judges, Could Cut Delays by 65%
New INFORMS Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Study Key Takeaways:
- Judicial delays can be reduced by up to 65% by adjusting how judges allocate their time between the early and later stages of cases, without requiring additional judges.
- Current case backlogs are largely caused by an imbalance in judicial time management, where too much focus is placed on the early stages of cases, leading to bottlenecks in later stages.
- A simple shift in scheduling strategies could reduce average case resolution time from 275 days to just 96 days, providing a scalable and cost-effective solution for improving court efficiency worldwide.
BALTIMORE, MD, April 21, 2025 – Courts around the world are struggling to keep up with growing caseloads, leaving individuals and businesses waiting months – sometimes years – for resolution. But a new study in the INFORMS journal Manufacturing & Service Operations Management has uncovered a surprisingly simple way to speed up the system that doesn’t require hiring more judges.
The research shows that small, but strategic, changes to scheduling could reduce case delays by up to 65%. The researchers analyzed court case processing times and found that reallocating judicial time between early and later case stages could speed up resolutions by nearly three times – without any additional resources.
The study, “Service Operations for Justice-On-Time: A Data-Driven Queueing Approach,” focuses on the Supreme Court of India, one of the world’s busiest courts, in which cases currently take an average of 275 days to reach a resolution. The study finds that by shifting more attention to the later stages of cases, courts could reduce the average resolution time to just 96 days, significantly clearing backlogs and improving efficiency.
“People assume that the only way to reduce case delays is to expand the judiciary, but that’s not necessarily true,” says Nitin Bakshi of the University of Utah. “Our research demonstrates that managing time more effectively can significantly speed up case resolution.”
This solution isn’t only relevant in India – it applies to appeals courts worldwide, including those in the United States, in which judicial backlogs are growing. Courts at all levels face an increasing number of cases, with delays impacting victims, businesses and entire communities. Hiring more judges may not always be feasible; this research suggests that judicial systems can improve efficiency right away simply by adjusting how they schedule and allocate time to cases.
“Justice works best when it is both fair and timely,” says Ramandeep Randhawa from the University of Southern California. “Our research provides a practical, scalable solution to help courts move cases through the system more efficiently.”
At a time when courts are under pressure to deliver justice faster without additional resources, this research offers a low-cost, high-impact strategy that can be immediately implemented. “Smarter scheduling isn’t just a theory – it’s a data-backed solution to one of the most pressing challenges in judicial systems today,” concluded Jeunghyun Kim of Korea University Business School.
About INFORMS and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management
INFORMS is the world’s largest association for professionals and students in operations research, AI, analytics, data science and related disciplines, serving as a global authority in advancing cutting-edge practices and fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, a leading journal by INFORMS, explores research in production and operations management, including technology, productivity and cross-functional coordination. INFORMS supports its community with resources to advance operational efficiency and decision-making. Learn more at www.informs.org or @informs.
###
Contact:
Ashley Smith
443-757-3578
Subscribe and stay up to date on the latest from INFORMS.
Media Contact
Ashley Smith
Public Affairs Coordinator
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3578