New Delhi – The Supreme Court has expressed strong disapproval of the growing practice of High Court judges reserving verdicts for months without delivering them. Setting a strict timeline, the court ruled that judgments must be delivered within three months of being reserved, failing which cases would be reassigned if not concluded within an additional two weeks.
Calling the delay “extremely shocking and surprising,” a Bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra warned that such practices erode public faith in the justice system. Justice Mishra, writing the order, noted that several matters remain undecided in High Courts for over six months, and in some cases even years, despite hearings being completed.
The Bench also criticized the practice of pronouncing final orders without accompanying reasoned judgments, which it said deprives litigants of the opportunity to pursue further legal remedies. Highlighting the absence of a proper mechanism to address such delays, the Supreme Court directed that if judgments are not delivered within three months, the High Court’s Registrar General must place the matter before the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice must then ensure that the judgment is delivered within two weeks or reassign the case to another Bench.
The ruling came while hearing appeals filed by Ravindra Pratap Shahi against interim orders of the Allahabad High Court in a criminal case pending since 2008. Despite repeated pleas for early disposal, no final verdict was issued. A Division Bench of the High Court had reserved its judgment in December 2021, but even after a year, no ruling was pronounced, leading the Chief Justice to relist the matter before another Bench in January 2023.
The top court recalled its earlier 2001 ruling in Anil Rai vs State of Bihar, where it had stressed that timely pronouncement of judgments was essential for upholding justice. Reaffirming those directions, the Supreme Court ordered all High Courts to submit monthly lists of reserved judgments that remain pending beyond three months. These lists must be shared with the Chief Justices to ensure compliance.
The order has been sent to High Court Registrar Generals for immediate implementation.
