Supreme Court Set Timeline For High Court To Deliver Reserved Verdicts: Supreme Court expressed concern over delay in court decisions, set timeline for High Court

New Delhi. The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the cases pending in the courts and delay in decisions. With this, the apex court has released the timeline for the High Court to pronounce its verdict. The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi of the apex court has directed the High Courts that after the decision in any case is reserved, it should be made public within three months. Whereas in bail cases, the decision should be pronounced by the next day and information about the decision should ideally be given to the jail authorities on the same day.

The top court also said that the release of undertrial prisoners who have been granted bail must be ensured on the same day or at the most the next day. The Supreme Court has also said that the court will pronounce the effective part of its order in the court. After that it will be mandatory to upload the complete detailed order on the website within 7 days. The date of reservation of the judgment should also be compulsorily mentioned on the website of the High Court. The Supreme Court further said that if the guidelines are not followed properly then the case can be sent for hearing before another bench. However, if reasons are not uploaded within 30 days, the case can be transferred to a new bench.

The Supreme Court has clarified that if the High Court does not pronounce the reserved decision within 3 months, then the Registrar General will bring the matter before the Chief Justice and the Chief Justice of the High Court can be given 2 more weeks’ time. Despite this, if there is delay in complying with the instructions, the case will be transferred to another bench. Let us tell you that some petitioners have filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying that the Jharkhand High Court has reserved the decision on their criminal cases after hearing the final arguments and the decision is not being pronounced even after 2 to 3 years. The Supreme Court has issued these guidelines on this.