All HCs should upload details of time taken by judges to deliver verdicts: SC, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court directed all High Courts to publicly disclose the time taken by judges to deliver verdicts in pending cases.
• The directive came during a hearing regarding a plea by four life convicts whose verdicts were pending in the Jharkhand High Court for 2-3 years.
• The court seeks transparency regarding the dates of judgment reservation, pronouncement, and uploading on official websites.
• High Courts must report on existing mechanisms for public disclosure of judgment timelines, specifically for judgments reserved after January 31, 2025, and pronounced until October 31, 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• The conventional timeframe for judges to pronounce judgments is within a reasonable time, typically two to six months, after reserving cases.
• Justice Kant, the Chief Justice of India-designate, emphasized that judicial transparency should meet public expectations.
• Justice Bagchi suggested a dashboard on High Court websites to focus on the reservation and pronouncement of judgments, enhancing accountability.
• The Supreme Court has asked the High Courts for their views on framing a uniform mechanism to disclose the dates of reservation, pronouncement of judgments and their uploading on websites.
• The court acknowledged potential adverse consequences of public disclosure and encouraged High Courts to express any apprehensions.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Transparency: Openness and accountability in judicial processes, making information accessible to the public.
• Accountability: The obligation of judges and courts to be responsible for their actions and decisions.
• Judicial Functioning: The processes and procedures involved in the administration of justice by the courts.