In an important directive to High Courts across the country, the  Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh has set a new standard for judgment documentation. The Apex  Court has ordered that certified copies of all High Court judgments must clearly specify the dates on which the judgment was reserved, pronounced, and uploaded to the  High Court’s  website.

The judges emphasized compliance within a four-week timeframe, ordering, "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 is clearly mentioned in the uploaded/certified copy of judgment. The High Court may do the needful within four weeks." 

Additionally, the Supreme Court outlined that the updated formats must feature a column to indicate whether the pronouncement was limited to the operative part or the entire judgment.

In instances where only the operative part is delivered, reasons should follow within five days, consistent with the precedent set in Ratilal Jhaverbhai Parmar v. State Of Gujarat, unless altered by the Supreme Court's timelines. 

This important issuance arose amidst the Court’s assessment of delays, notably the nearly three-year lag by the Jharkhand High Court in delivering verdicts in reserved criminal appeals.

The bench also underscored the necessity for clear guidelines governing the performance evaluation of High Court judges, highlighting that the judiciary must meet the public’s legitimate expectations.

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