The Supreme Court has highlighted a serious issue of pending criminal appeals across High Courts in India, with over 7.24 lakh cases waiting for resolution as of March 22, 2025. Noting this backlog, the Court has advised all High Courts to adopt several measures for effective case management and faster disposal.
“There is a huge problem faced by all the High Courts,” the Court observed.
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The Supreme Court proposed several solutions to tackle the backlog, including:
- Digitisation of Case Records: High Courts were advised to digitise trial court records to speed up case processing. The use of the Supreme Court's AI translation tool, Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS), was recommended for translating court documents.
- Registrar (Court and Case Management): The Court suggested creating a dedicated Registrar post for overseeing case management in all High Courts.
- Video Conferencing: High Courts with multiple benches were encouraged to use video conferencing for appeals, allowing benches with lower case loads to assist the main bench.
- Suspension of Sentences: The Court reiterated that High Courts should ordinarily suspend sentences in cases of fixed-term punishment unless exceptional circumstances exist. This was supported by previous judgments, including Bhagwan Rama Shinde Gosai v. State of Gujarat (1999), NCB v. Lakhwinder Singh (2025), and Atul alias Ashutosh v. State of MP (2024).
“This court has consistently laid down that when there is a fixed period of sentence, normally the power of suspension of sentence under section 389 of CrPC should be exercised liberally unless there are exceptional circumstances,” the Court stated.
According to data provided by the Supreme Court, the Allahabad High Court leads in pending criminal appeals with 2.77 lakh cases. Other High Courts with high pending cases include:
- Madhya Pradesh High Court: 1.15 lakh pending appeals.
- Punjab and Haryana High Court: 79,326 pending appeals.
- Rajasthan High Court: 56,455 pending appeals.
- Patna High Court: 44,664 pending appeals.
- Bombay High Court: 28,257 pending appeals.
- Chhattisgarh High Court: Over 18,000 pending appeals.
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The Supreme Court directed all High Courts to adopt a Model Action Plan for Reduction of Arrears prepared by the Supreme Court Committee for Model Case Flow Management Rules. This plan has been approved by the Chief Justice of India.
“We recommend that the High Courts adopt the model action plan with suitable modifications,” the Court noted.
To ensure data accuracy, the Court advised a one-time physical verification of pending cases in High Courts and trial courts. This measure aims to correct any errors in data entries on High Court websites and the National Judicial Data Grid.
The Court emphasized giving priority to appeals where the accused are in jail. It also advised balancing this by prioritizing appeals against convictions in cases where the accused are out on bail or where the offence is of serious nature.
Case no. – SMW(Crl) No. 4/2021
Case Title – In Re Policy Strategy For Grant Of Bail
