A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed all High Courts to deliver reserved judgments within three months, calling timely justice a fundamental requirement of the judicial system.

The apex court also laid down strict timelines in bail matters, ordering that bail pleas should ideally be decided on the same day. If orders are reserved, they must be pronounced by the following day, the Court said.

In a significant relief for undertrial prisoners, the Bench directed that regular bail orders be communicated immediately to trial courts and that accused persons granted bail should be released on the very same day, subject to completion of formalities.

The Court further ordered that every judgment pronounced by a High Court must be uploaded on the court’s official website within 24 hours.

It also clarified that the date on which the operative portion of a judgment is pronounced would be treated as the official date of pronouncement.

The Supreme Court observed that High Courts are the first point of access to justice for thousands of litigants every day, making prompt delivery of judgments critical to maintaining faith in the judiciary.

At the same time, the Bench clarified that the directions were not intended to target or criticise any individual judge or institution, but were aimed at addressing systemic delays affecting litigants across the country.

The judgment came while hearing a matter concerning delays in pronouncement and uploading of orders, particularly in the Jharkhand High Court, which had triggered concerns over judicial transparency and accountability.