Supreme Court Takes Action: Streamlining Criminal Trials Amid Appellate Stays

The Supreme Court is addressing the impact of appellate court stay orders on criminal trials' pace. Eight states and their high courts must respond to a suo motu case, prompted by CBI's delayed appeal filings. This judicial review aims to improve trial efficiency amidst over 13,000 pending CBI-related matters.

The Supreme Court has taken proactive measures to address the challenges posed by stay orders from appellate courts on the progression of criminal trials. On Monday, the apex court sought responses from eight states and their respective high courts in a suo motu case examining this issue.

Headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, the court is focusing on orders impacting trial speeds, despite guidelines for such stays, originally flagged in 2021 under Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul's leadership. Responding jurisdictions include Maharashtra, Punjab, and Kerala, among others, which had previously withdrawn consent for CBI probes within their territories.

The delay in CBI's appeal submissions—over 542 days in some cases—brought attention to this issue, highlighting bottlenecks in legal proceedings. With over 13,200 related matters pending nationwide, the Supreme Court emphasizes the need for judicial scrutiny in improving trial processes.

(With inputs from agencies.)