Expect CJs of HCs to ensure speedy disposal of bail petitions: SC

NEW DELHI: A day after flagging the ‘reserve verdict-andforget about it’ ailment in the judiciary, Supreme Court on Monday took exception to long pendency of anticipatory bail and regular bail petitions in high courts and said the respective chief justices must ensure speedy disposal of matters relating to liberty.

After learning that issues relating to bail and pleas for suspension of sentence after conviction were pending in HCs for months and getting routinely adjourned, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said, “We are extremely disappointed over the manner in which matters relating to personal liberty of individuals are dealt with by the HCs.”

Though the malady pointed out related to Punjab and Haryana HC, the CJI recalled there had been earlier petitions seeking direction to high courts to expedite decisions on pleas seeking bail and, in some cases, directions were sought for urgent listing of such before HCs.

The CJI said, “The delay in hearing the cases could be because of overflowing dockets or other matters requiring immediate attention of the judges, but nothing can be more important than deciding pleas for grant of bail.”

The bench said, “It is equally disturbing to know that in Patna HC bail applications are not listed for hearing for months. We expect the CJs of the HCs to take some remedial measures...”

The bench said this was happening despite the SC on many occasions indicating a timeline for deciding such pleas.

“We are conscious of the fact that listing and prioritisation of hearing in cases is the exclusive prerogative of CJs, who are the masters of rosters,” the bench said, adding that in such situations, the SC had a bounden duty to lay down guidelines for expeditious hearing. It asked HC registrars general to furnish in four weeks details of all bail, anticipatory bail and suspension of sentence pleas pending from Jan 1, 2025.
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