Supreme Court seeks info from High Courts on verdicts yet to be pronounced after being reserved

The Supreme Court on Monday called for reports from all High Courts on cases pending before them where a judgment is yet to be pronounced despite the matter having been reserved for a verdict on or before January 31, 2025 [Pila Pahan and ors v. State of Jharkhand and anr]..A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh ordered Registrar Generals from all High Courts to furnish a report on the same within four weeks. "We direct Registrar Generals of all High Courts (to submit a report) in respect of all those (cases) where judgements were reserved on 3Ist January 2025 and pronouncement of judgement is still awaited. The list shall contain the (details of both) criminal and civil matters. The Registrar General shall furnish the information within four weeks," the order stated. .The Court passed the order while dealing with a plea by four life convicts belonging to Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities, who alleged that the Jharkhand High Court failed to deliver a verdict on their criminal appeals despite reserving these matters for judgment for over two to three years. The Court had earlier asked the Jharkhand High Court's Registrar General to submit a report on the status of cases where a judgment was yet to be pronounced, despite reserving it for two or more months.The Bench today took critical note of an Indian Express report, which indicated that the High Court had tried to take remedial steps only after the Supreme Court took a serious view of such delays. The Court has also decided to take a closer look at the High Court's reported move to pronounce judgments in 75 cases within a week. "We also find from the daily newspaper Indian Express as today reported under caption 'After Supreme Court rap, Jharkhand HC decides 75 criminal appeals in a week' that Jharkhand HC has decided 75 criminal appeals within a week. At this stage, we deem it appropriate to seek the following information: Registrar General is directed to file a list of the 75 judgements. The list would include the date on which the judgements were reserved, along with softcopies of judgement," the top court ordered. .The Supreme Court also hinted that it may issue guidelines to tackle the issue of delayed pronouncements of judgments. "It is really disturbing ... We can't allow it to happen this way. We will think of laying down some necessary guidelines," Justice Kant said. .The petition was filed through advocate Fauzia Shakil. Advocate Pallavi Langar is representing the State of Jharkhand. The matter is likely to be heard next on May 13..[Read Live Coverage]