New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the formulation and implementation of guidelines for the time-bound disposal of cases and regulation of adjournments in courts across the country.
A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice V. Mohan declined to intervene in the matter and advised the petitioner, who appeared in person, to take up the issue with legal professional bodies.
“You go to the Bar Council of India, State Bar Councils, High Court Bar Associations and District Court Bar Associations,” the Bench told the petitioner during the hearing.
In a light-hearted remark, the judges added, “We don’t want to get into an enmity with lawyers. We are friends with lawyers.”
The PIL had sought the introduction of uniform, structured and enforceable guidelines to regulate adjournments in courts nationwide. It argued that frequent and unregulated adjournments contribute significantly to judicial delays and increase the burden of pending cases.
The petitioner also requested the court to direct the formulation of a uniform national case flow management policy applicable to all courts. The proposed framework included stage-wise timelines for judicial proceedings, stricter regulation of adjournments, continuous and day-to-day hearings in suitable matters, and priority disposal of old and long-pending cases.
However, the apex court declined to examine the plea, indicating that the concerns raised should first be addressed by bar councils and bar associations, which play a key role in the functioning of the judicial system.
The dismissal of the PIL means that, for now, there will be no Supreme Court-mandated guidelines on adjournments or time-bound disposal of cases as sought in the petition.
