'Mention Dates Of Reserving, Pronouncement & Uploading Of Judgments In Certified Copy': Supreme Court Directs High Courts

As per a recent Supreme Court order, High Courts across the country must now mention in their certified copy of judgments the date on which the judgment was reserved, the date on which it was pronounced and the date on which it was uploaded on the High Court website.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order, directing all High Courts to modify their existing practice or formats within 4 weeks in compliance of the above.

"all the High Courts are directed to suitably modify their existing practice or formats to ensure that (i) the date when the judgment is reserved; (ii) the date when the judgment is pronounced; and (iii) the date when the judgment is uploaded on the website are clearly mentioned in the uploaded/certified copy of judgment. The High Court may do the needful within four weeks", the Court ordered.

It further added that the revised formats of the High Courts must include a column specifying whether the pronouncement was of the operative part only or whether the full judgment was pronounced. Where only operative part of a judgment is pronounced, reasons ought to follow within 5 days of the pronouncement, as held in Ratilal Jhaverbhai Parmar v. State Of Gujarat, unless the timelines are modified by the Supreme Court.

The directions were passed while the Court was dealing with the issue of nearly three years' delay by the Jharkhand High Court in pronouncing verdicts in reserved criminal appeals. During the hearing, the bench also reiterated the need for guidelines on the performance evaluation of High Court judges, saying that legitimate expectations of the public must be met by the judiciary.

Appearance: Advocate Fauzia Shakil (Amicus Curiae); Senior Advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha (for the respondents)

Case Title: PILA PAHAN@ PEELA PAHAN AND ORS. Versus THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND ANR., W.P.(Crl.) No. 169/2025

Click Here To Read/Download Order