In a significant observation, the Supreme Court of India has highlighted the challenges faced by High Courts in dealing with the large volume of bail petitions, emphasizing that some delays in their disposal are inevitable due to the high pendency of cases. This statement came as the Court refused to direct the Bombay High Court for the expeditious disposal of a bail application that had been pending since June.
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The bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, underscored the widespread issue of case backlogs in Indian courts.
“In every High Court and especially the bigger High Courts, there are a large number of Bail Petitions filed and therefore, some delay in disposal of the Bail Petitions is inevitable,”
the Court noted. This observation was made on November 10, during the hearing of a plea that sought a time-bound schedule for the disposal of a criminal matter.
The Supreme Court further advised that in cases of extraordinary urgency, the accused could request an expeditious hearing directly from the High Court.
“We are sure that if the request is genuine, the concerned Bench will entertain it,”
the Court assured, emphasizing the need for discretion in such matters.
Addressing the broader issue of judicial delays, the Supreme Court remarked,
“Every Court in the country has a huge pendency, and hence the Supreme Court and the High Courts should refrain from fixing a time-bound schedule for disposal of any cases except in extraordinary circumstances.”
This statement reflects the Court’s stance on the practical challenges faced by the judiciary in managing the high volume of cases.
The case in question, titled Shaikh Uzma Feroz Hussain vs State of Maharashtra , serves as a pertinent example of the ongoing struggle within the Indian judicial system to balance the need for timely justice with the reality of an overburdened court system. The Supreme Court’s observations offer a candid insight into the complexities of judicial administration in the face of overwhelming case backlogs.
