Supreme Court invokes Article 142, issues strict timelines to curb delay in High Court judgments
New Delhi, May 29
The Supreme Court on Friday invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and issued binding directions to all High Courts to curb delays in the pronouncement of judgments.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant directed all High Courts to pronounce reserved judgments within three months. It ordered courts to deliver bail orders on the same day or, if reserved, on the next day. The Court also directed immediate communication of regular bail orders to trial courts and said that undertrial prisoners granted bail should be released the same day, subject to formalities.
All judgments once pronounced must be uploaded on High Court websites within 24 hours, the Court observed.
The Court further held that the date of pronouncement of the operative part of a judgment will be treated as the date of pronouncement of the judgment itself.
The Court said that the High Courts are the primary institutions where thousands of people flock to seek justice, and the timely delivery of judgments is essential. It clarified that the directions were not intended to cast aspersions on any individual judge or any institution.
The judgment came in a case concerning long delays in the pronouncement and uploading of judgments, particularly in the Jharkhand High Court.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative but I hope this doesn't compromise the quality of judgments. Three months for complex constitutional matters might be too tight. Also, uploading within 24 hours is excellent - no more wondering if our case file got lost in some dusty shelf!
The bail order on the same day rule is brilliant! Undertrial prisoners languishing in jails for months even after being granted bail is a disgrace to our legal system. Hope this is implemented strictly across all states, especially in UP and Bihar where delays are chronic.
Article 142 is a powerful tool but judges often misuse it to bypass normal procedures. Here it's being used for a good cause. However, the real problem is the pendency of cases - over 60 lakh cases pending in High Courts. Timelines alone won't solve that without more judges and infrastructure.
As someone who has been following Indian legal reforms from abroad, this is a positive step. In the US, even federal courts have strict deadlines for publishing opinions. India's judiciary needs more such procedural reforms to match the demands of a modern democracy. Well done, SC!
This is good, but will it work? We have had similar orders before - like the 2014 judgment on timely disposal of cases - and ground reality hasn't changed much. The problem is deeper: judicial vacancies, overburdened judges, and lack of court management. Let's see if this time it's different. 🤞
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