Supreme Court Demands Speedy Justice: High Courts Under Scrutiny for Delays

The Supreme Court has expressed concern over delayed judgments in High Courts, ordering a report on pending cases by January 2025. Notably, Jharkhand High Court has 67 unresolved criminal appeals. Guidelines for timely pronouncements will be established to prevent such delays.

The Supreme Court voiced its concern on Monday regarding delays in judgment announcements, instructing the Registrar Generals of all High Courts to report on cases with reserved but unpronounced judgments by January 31, 2025. Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh emphasized the issue, highlighting 67 pending criminal appeals in Jharkhand High Court.

Proclaiming that such delays cannot continue, the bench instructed High Courts to provide updates within a month. They described the delays as 'very disturbing' and expressed intent to establish mandatory guidelines to address the issue.

The directive came while reviewing a petition from four convicts whose criminal appeal judgments have been postponed for two to three years by the Jharkhand High Court. The apex court examined the Registrar General's report, noting 56 unresolved appeals by a division bench and 11 by a single bench judge since 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)