In a decisive move to curb judicial delays, the Supreme Court has directed all High Courts to compile data on pending execution petitions in district courts and ensure their resolution within six months. Failure to comply will make presiding officers answerable to the High Court.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan issued the directive after observing that execution proceedings often drag on for years, undermining the rights of decree-holders. The Court noted that despite previous rulings mandating swift execution—most notably in Rahul S Shah v. Jinendra Kumar Gandhi (2021) and Bhoj Raj Garg v. Goyal Education and Welfare Society (2022)—delays persist.
The directive mandates that High Courts issue administrative orders compelling trial courts to expedite execution cases. Additionally, they must submit reports detailing pendency statistics to the Supreme Court.
The ruling stemmed from a long-running property dispute dating back to 1986, where a decree-holder’s attempts to enforce a judgment had faced repeated delays. The Supreme Court ultimately intervened, ordering that possession of the suit property be handed over within two months, with police assistance if necessary.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Pardiwala emphasized the urgency of systemic reform, stating that district courts taking “three to four years” to act on decrees rendered justice meaningless for decree-holders. The ruling is expected to streamline execution proceedings and hold judicial officers accountable for unwarranted delays.
