In Brief
The Supreme Court set aside a High Court order that was pronounced on 21 January 2020 but whose reasoned judgment was not delivered until 9 October 2020—a gap of nine months. The Court held that High Courts must deliver reasoned judgments simultaneously with or immediately after pronouncing the operative order. Delaying the reasons deprives the aggrieved party of the right to promptly seek judicial redressal in a higher court and violates Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court remitted the matter for fresh consideration by a different Bench and circulated a reminder to all High Courts on proper judgment delivery procedures.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.