Delhi High Court Directs Lower Courts To Expedite Pending Cases

The Delhi High Court has directed all lower courts to follow its guidelines and resolve pending cases in a time-bound manner.

Justice Swarnakanta Sharma emphasized the importance of maintaining promptness in legal proceedings, particularly when a High Court orders a lower court to expedite a case.

Key Directions For Lower Courts

Justice Sharma’s order addressed the procedure that must be followed when a judge is unavailable or on leave.

In such cases, the concerned court must immediately inform the District and Sessions Judge.

The District Judge, in turn, must ensure that the case is reassigned to another court to guarantee timely resolution.

This step ensures compliance with the High Court or Supreme Court’s instructions within the designated time frame.

Additionally, the case file should clearly indicate that the matter is time-sensitive.

The concerned court should mark this on the case file with bold letters in red ink, highlighting the urgency of resolving the issue within the specified period.

Uniform Enforcement For Speedy Resolution

This directive came during the hearing of a bail plea filed by a man accused of involvement in an acid attack on a female doctor.

The court emphasized that the accused had been in judicial custody for 10 years, underscoring the importance of resolving the case expeditiously.

Justice Sharma further underlined the need for consistent enforcement of rules regarding time-bound resolutions for all religious and legal matters.

The court refused to grant bail to the accused, instead ordering the lower court to conclude the trial within one month.

The Role of Judges & The Importance Of Timely Justice

The court stressed that when judges are unavailable due to leave or other reasons, they should not delay cases unnecessarily.

If the concerned judge is on leave, the court should assign the case to another judge promptly instead of waiting for the judge’s return.

This ruling highlights the urgency with which courts must handle pending cases, particularly when they involve prolonged periods of judicial custody or important legal matters.

The emphasis is on ensuring that the legal process does not lose momentum, as delays can have serious consequences for both the accused and the victims.

The Delhi High Court’s ruling aims to foster an efficient and accountable legal system that prioritizes the timely delivery of justice.

The directive aligns with broader efforts to streamline legal processes, reduce delays, and uphold the rule of law in the Indian judicial system.

By reinforcing the importance of compliance with time-bound directives, the Court is taking significant steps to address the backlog of cases and improve the overall functioning of the justice system in India.

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