In a recent matter regarding delays in pronouncing verdicts on criminal appeals, the Supreme Court of India expressed concerns over the performance of High Court judges. This issue came to light after the Jharkhand High Court took nearly three years to deliver verdicts on reserved criminal appeals. The Supreme Court, led by Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, has now proposed to examine the "performance output" of High Courts across India.
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Justice Surya Kant, speaking on the matter, remarked that while many judges work with immense dedication, others fall short of expectations. He also highlighted that certain judges frequently take tea and coffee breaks, which could be avoided for better productivity. He suggested that if judges worked continuously with only lunch breaks, it would lead to improved performance and quicker results.
"We would like to examine a very larger issue that what is the output of the High Courts? How much we are spending on the system, what is the actual output? What is the performance scale? Some of the judges, we know, they work so hard, their commitment is something that we always feel proud... but there are other judges who are unfortunately disappointing us..." — Justice Surya Kant
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The case in question involved four convicts whose criminal appeals had been heard and reserved by the Jharkhand High Court over 2-3 years ago, but no verdict had been pronounced. Following the Supreme Court's intervention, the High Court acquitted three of the convicts, and a split verdict was delivered for the fourth. However, all four were ordered to be released from custody.
"The timeline prescribed earlier by this Court for pronouncement of judgments will have to be adhered to, along with the mechanisms we propose to evolve." — Justice Surya Kant
The delay in judgment delivery raises serious concerns about personal liberty, as one of the petitioners, represented by Advocate Fauzia Shakil, noted that the delay had kept them in jail for years unnecessarily. Justice Kant shared the disappointment, acknowledging that such delays undermine public trust in the judicial system.
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Last week, the Supreme Court had requested details from High Courts regarding judgments reserved before January 31, 2025, that have not yet been pronounced, further stressing the urgency of timely decisions in the justice system.
Case Title: PILA PAHAN@ PEELA PAHAN AND ORS. Versus THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND ANR., W.P.(Crl.) No. 169/2025
