The SC sets a three-month time limit for high courts to pronounce judgment in the case

Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Supreme Court on Friday (May 29, 2026) set a three-month deadline for high courts to pronounce judgment in the case.

A bench headed by Surya Kanta said that it is three months from the date the case was reserved for consideration.

There are no specific time limits within which judges must deliver judgments. The convention is that the judiciary should issue judgments within a reasonable time, from two to six months, after the cases are reserved.

However, judges, including the Supreme Court and High Courts, in practice reserve judgments for more than a year before delivering them.

In the order, the Bench held that bail orders must ideally be pronounced on the next day and communicated to the jail on the same day. The court also directed that the accused be released on the same day or the next day at the latest after being granted bail.

The pronouncement of the judgment must be communicated to the court and the reasons uploaded within a week and the High Court website must reflect the date of reservation of the judgment, the Court added.

“The case would be assigned to another bench if the court concerned does not follow the binding instructions. Copies of the Supreme Court judgment must be submitted to the Chief Justices of the High Courts,” the court said in a statement.

Published – 29 May 2026 11:14 IST