New Delhi, May 22: In response to mounting concerns regarding delays in the uploading of court judgments, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued a significant directive to all High Courts across the country. The apex court has asked the Registrar Generals of each High Court to provide detailed data specifying the dates on which judgments were delivered and the corresponding dates on which these judgments were uploaded online, starting from January 1, 2024, until May 31, 2025.
The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh, who are currently presiding over a batch of matters where courts have either delayed pronouncement of judgments after reserving them for extended periods or failed to make such verdicts publicly accessible in a timely manner.
“In continuation of our order dated May 13, 2025, the Registrar Generals of all the High Courts are further directed to submit an additional report giving the full description of the dates of pronouncement of judgments after January 1, 2024, and the dates when such judgments were uploaded. This information, covering up to May 31, 2025, must be submitted on or before the next hearing date, July 21, 2025,” the bench ordered.
This move follows the Supreme Court’s stern observations made earlier this month, where it criticized High Court judges for taking “unwarranted breaks” and called for a performance audit of their work. The bench remarked that several complaints have reached the apex court regarding delayed pronouncements and non-compliance with timelines, and emphasized the need to measure judicial productivity in relation to the expenditure incurred on the system.
The matter came into sharp focus in a specific case where four individuals approached the Supreme Court alleging inordinate delays by the Jharkhand High Court. According to their plea, the High Court had reserved its judgment in a criminal appeal case involving convictions and life sentences back in 2022, but the judgment was not pronounced for a prolonged period.
Advocate Fauzia Shakil, appearing for the petitioners, informed the bench that only after the Supreme Court intervened and raised the matter, the Jharkhand High Court delivered the long-pending judgments on May 5 and 6, 2025. Out of the four appellants, three were acquitted, while the fourth received a split verdict. The case was referred to the Chief Justice of the High Court, and the individual was granted bail.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, the Supreme Court observed, “The matter raises concerns of paramount importance. Delays in judgment pronouncement go to the very root of the criminal justice system and undermine public confidence in it.”
The apex court further tagged this case with a similar matter from the Allahabad High Court, where discrepancies between judgment pronouncement dates and their online availability were flagged. The court noted that the cumulative concerns raised in these petitions warrant a comprehensive judicial response, possibly in the form of mandatory guidelines, to ensure consistency and accountability across all levels of the judiciary.
“It appears that these issues require deeper analysis and may necessitate the formulation of mandatory norms by this court to ensure that convicts, undertrials, and litigants do not lose their faith in the justice delivery system,” the bench said.
Emphasizing the need for adherence to timelines already prescribed by the Supreme Court for judgment pronouncements, the bench hinted at proposing a systemic mechanism that ensures timely pronouncements and prompt publication of judgments. The court has directed its registry to coordinate and collect data from all the High Courts and scheduled the matter for further hearing in July.