New Delhi, Apr 09: Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud raised concerns about the trend of High Courts holding judgments reserved for prolonged periods, citing potential repercussions for litigants. This observation came during a hearing on a case related to arbitration proceedings, with a bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, as reported by Bar and Bench.

“What is a matter of concern is judges reserving matters for over 10 months without judgment. I wrote to all the High Courts. After the letter, I see many judges just de-reserving matters and listing them as part-heard. Honestly, after that long, the oral arguments do not matter and judges forget,” remarked CJI Chandrachud.The bench subsequently directed the concerned High Court to expedite the disposal of the matter. Expressing hope that this isn’t a widespread trend across other High Courts, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of timely resolution to alleviate the burden on litigants.“We hope this is not a trend at more High Courts of the country. We are of the view that releasing a matter at this stage after it has been heard for a substantial period compounds the delay and plight and legal fees of litigants… Liberty granted to move the learned judge under Section 36 of the Arbitration Act. Matter to be taken up at reasonable despatch, though we are aware of the High Court’s burden,” directed the apex court.

This follows recent criticism from the Supreme Court regarding the Bombay High Court’s handling of similar cases. The Supreme Court urged judges of the Bombay High Court to expedite the hearing and disposal of bail matters, emphasizing that delays could lead to deprivation of personal liberty.