New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered all High Courts across the country to furnish details of cases where judgements were reserved and are yet to be pronounced.
This order was passed by the bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh after it came to know that the High Court of Jharkhand has completed hearings in 56 matters, including criminal appeals, between January 4, 2022 and December 16, 2024, but have not pronounced judgements as yet.
The Jharkhand High Court has also stated in its report that a judge of a single bench has completed hearings of 11 matters between July 25, 2024 and September 27, 2024, but has not yet pronounced judgements.
The Supreme Court passed this order after hearing a petition by four persons convicted to life by trial courts in Jharkhand. While three were convicted between 2012 and 2014, the fourth was sentenced in 2018. All four moved criminal appeals before the Jharkhand High Court.
Hearing of their appeals were completed by division benches on January 5, 2022, April 27, 2022, May 5, 2022, June 7, 2022. However, the judgements continue to remain reserved, even after three years. They have now moved the Supreme Court, seeking bail.
“Having perused the report sent by the Registrar General of the Jharkhand High Court, we deem it apposite to seek such reports from all the High Courts. Consequently, we direct the Registrar Generals of all the High Courts to submit a Report in respect of those cases where judgements were reserved on or before January 31, 2025 and where the pronouncement of judgement is still awaited,” the Supreme Court has ordered.
The reports will have to be submitted within four weeks and the matter will come up for hearing again on July 21, 2025. The bail applications of the four convicted men from Jharkhand will be heard on May 13, 2025.
