"The cases pertaining to offences against women and children will be given priority and more special courts should be set up across the country to deal with them," says the judge, who will take over as the 40th CJI on July 19.
Justice Sathasivam, who did not consider the pendency of cases as "alarming", however, expressed concern over the fact that crimes against women are increasing.
He feels the issue can be effectively tackled by setting up more courts for women and children, besides the compensation matters, as they constitute one-third of total pending litigations.
"We have already identified the areas in which the courts have to concentrate and in association with the Government of India. We have constituted and are going to press for more separate courts for women and children, juvenile justice and matter relating to compensation either under Land Acquisition Act or Workmen Compensation Act," the CJI-designate told PTI in an interview.
Over three crore cases are pending in various courts across the country, according to information provided by the government in Parliament earlier this year.
Responding to a query as to which issue he would accord priority as the CJI, Justice Sathasivam said, "According to me, the pendency of litigations all over India starting from subordinate courts and ending with the apex court is the first priority."
He said, "If separate courts are constituted for these two branches, one for women and children and another for the compensation matters, pertaining to Land Acquisition, Motor actions cases, and compensation, these will take away one-third of the arrears from main pendency."
The CJI-designate said that he will continue with practise of his predecessors in the apex court to accord primacy to cases pertaining to women and children, the life sentence matters, and the accused who are in jail.
"In the same way, we are requesting the High Courts also.
Many High Courts have already started this method and the subordinate courts also. On the basis of our requests, High Courts have issued directions to all the district judges to give priority to these type of matters, old cases and senior citizens' cases," he said.
The judge also stressed that the matters relating to award of compensation be segregated from other conventional cases.