New Delhi: Invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has issued a series of binding directions to all High Courts across the country to address delays in the pronouncement and uploading of judgments.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed that all reserved judgments must be pronounced within three months. The Court also ordered that bail orders should ordinarily be delivered on the same day after hearing, and if judgment is reserved, the order must be pronounced on the following day.

The Supreme Court further directed that orders granting regular bail must be communicated immediately to the concerned trial courts. It added that undertrial prisoners granted bail should be released on the same day, subject to completion of procedural formalities.

The Court also made it mandatory for all High Courts to upload judgments on their official websites within 24 hours of pronouncement.

In another significant direction, the bench held that the date on which the operative portion of a judgment is pronounced will be treated as the official date of pronouncement of the judgment itself.

The Court observed that High Courts remain the primary forums where thousands of citizens approach for justice every day, making timely delivery of judgments a matter of critical importance for the justice delivery system.

Clarifying the intent behind the directions, the bench stated that the measures were not aimed at casting aspersions on any individual judge or institution.

The ruling came while hearing a matter related to prolonged delays in pronouncement and uploading of judgments, particularly in the Jharkhand High Court.

BI Bureau