The Gauhati High Court has issued a notification instructing all subordinate courts in Assam to ensure the disposal of pending execution petitions within a period of six months. This directive comes in compliance with the Supreme Court's recent order, which mandates High Courts across the country to take administrative steps to expedite pending execution matters.
The Supreme Court's ruling emphasized the importance of timely justice and urged all High Courts to gather necessary data regarding execution petition pendency in their respective district judiciaries. Based on this information, High Courts are required to issue administrative orders or circulars directing trial courts to dispose of such petitions within six months.
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Pankaj Mithal stated:
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"We direct all the High Courts across the country to call for the necessary information from their respective district judiciary as regards pendency of the execution petitions. Once the data is collected by each of the High Courts, the High Courts shall thereafter proceed to issue an administrative order or circular, directing their respective district judiciary to ensure that the execution petitions pending in various courts shall be decided and disposed of within a period of six months without fail. Otherwise, the concerned presiding officer would be answerable to the High Court on its administrative side. Once the entire data, along with the figures of pendency and disposal thereafter, is collected by all the High Courts, the same shall be forwarded to the Registry of this Court with individual reports."
Following this directive, the Gauhati High Court, in its notification issued on March 26, has mandated that all subordinate courts in Assam adhere strictly to the six-month deadline for disposing of pending execution petitions. Any failure in compliance will result in the presiding officer being held accountable before the High Court.
In a significant move to reinforce judicial efficiency, the notification stated:
"Pursuant to the order dated 6.3.2025 passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal Nos. 3640-3642/2025, the Hon'ble Gauhati High Court has been pleased to direct all the subordinate courts of Assam to dispose of the pending execution petitions within a period of six (6) months without fail. Otherwise, the concerned Presiding Officer would be answerable to the Hon'ble Gauhati High Court on its administrative side."
This development is expected to bring much-needed relief to litigants awaiting the enforcement of court orders. Execution petitions, which pertain to the implementation of court judgments, often face delays, causing undue hardship to parties seeking legal remedy. The Supreme Court's directive and the subsequent action by the Gauhati High Court aim to ensure that judicial orders are effectively enforced within a reasonable timeframe.
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Legal experts believe that this step will enhance accountability in the judicial system and reduce unnecessary delays in execution proceedings. By enforcing strict timelines, the courts are working towards upholding the integrity of the justice delivery mechanism.
This directive aligns with broader efforts to streamline judicial processes and improve the efficiency of subordinate courts. It underscores the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring that justice is not only delivered but also effectively implemented without undue delay.
With the six-month deadline in place, all eyes will now be on the implementation of this directive across Assam's subordinate courts, ensuring that the backlog of execution petitions is cleared in a timely and efficient manner.
