Supreme Court Seeks Reports from All High Courts on Delayed Judgments Reserved Before Jan 31

The Supreme Court directed all High Courts to submit reports within four weeks on cases where judgments were reserved on or before January 31, 2025, but have not yet been pronunced.

The order came in response to a plea citing prolonged delays, particularly in the Jharkhand High Court, where a convict’s appeal has remained undecided for years.

The court took note of an Indian Express report, stating the 75 judgments delivered by the Jharkhand High Court in a week, after SC scrutiny, and has asked for the detailed copies of those judgments.

The court expressed concern over the trend of delayed judgment by the high courts and indicated it may issue guidelines to ensure timely pronouncement.