New Delhi, May 5— The Supreme Court of India on Monday raised serious concern over the prolonged delays in pronouncing reserved judgments, directing Registrar Generals of all High Courts to submit detailed reports on pending cases where verdicts were reserved on or before January 31, 2025, but not yet delivered.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh expressed particular dismay at the Jharkhand High Court, where 67 criminal appeals remain undecided despite judgments being reserved—some for as long as two to three years.
“This cannot be allowed to happen,” said Justice Surya Kant, emphasizing the need for judicial accountability. The bench described the delay as “very disturbing” and signaled the imminent formulation of mandatory guidelines to address such issues across courts.
“We will definitely like to lay down some mandatory guidelines. It can’t be allowed to happen like this,” Justice Kant stated.
The observations were made while hearing a petition filed by four convicts, who claimed that the Jharkhand High Court had reserved judgment in their criminal appeals years ago, yet failed to pronounce a decision.
The Supreme Court reviewed a report from the Registrar General of the Jharkhand High Court, which confirmed that verdicts were still pending in 56 criminal appeals heard by division benches between January 2022 and December 2024. Additionally, 11 criminal appeals heard by single judges also remain undecided despite being reserved.
The top court has now given one month’s time for all High Courts to furnish comprehensive reports on similar pending cases. The outcome could lead to structural reforms in how Indian courts manage reserved judgments.