In Brief
A man convicted of murder under IPC sections 148, 302/149 had been in jail for over a decade awaiting his High Court appeal. The Court refused bail but, concerned that speedy justice (a fundamental right under Articles 14 and 21) was being denied, issued notice to examine systemic remedies. The judgment addresses the root problem: High Courts have 16.29 lakh cases pending over 5 years old; disposal rates lag behind new filings. The Court directed creation of alternative appellate forums below High Courts to decongest constitutional courts, establishment of a central selection mechanism for timely judicial appointments, expert bodies for judge evaluation, and quarterly reports on lawyer strikes that obstruct justice. The Court disposed the appeal but reframed it as a structural challenge to the entire judicial system.
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