New Delhi, May 5: The Supreme Court of India on Monday expressed serious concern over the Jharkhand High Court’s failure to pronounce judgements in 67 criminal appeals despite reserving orders, terming the situation “disturbing.”
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh took note of a report submitted by the Registrar General of the Jharkhand High Court, which revealed that 56 criminal appeals heard by a division bench between January 2022 and December 2024 remain undecided, along with 11 additional cases before a single-judge bench.
“This cannot be allowed to happen,” the bench said during the hearing, adding that the court will soon lay down mandatory guidelines to address delays in pronouncing judgements.
The apex court also directed all High Courts across the country to submit reports within four weeks, detailing all criminal cases in which judgement was reserved on or before January 31, 2025, but a verdict has not yet been delivered.
The directions came in response to a plea filed by four life convicts, represented by advocate Fauzia Shakil, who alleged that the Jharkhand High Court had reserved orders on their appeals in 2022 but had yet to pronounce verdicts—blocking their eligibility for remission benefits.
The Supreme Court’s move highlights growing judicial concern over delays in the legal process, especially in matters involving criminal convictions and appeals.
