Supreme Court Seeks Swift Justice: Pan-India Guidelines for Criminal Case Delays

The Supreme Court of India has expressed its frustration over prolonged delays in completing trials due to the non-framing of charges, even after chargesheets have been filed. This issue contributes to a significant backlog within the judiciary, the court noted on Wednesday.

A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria highlighted that trial courts are taking three to four years to frame charges post chargesheet filing, leading to trial delays. The court indicated the necessity for pan-India guidelines to resolve this recurring issue.

To tackle this, the court appointed senior advocate Siddharth Luthra as amicus curiae to assist with the process. Moreover, the court has permitted petitioner's counsel to provide relevant documentation to the Attorney General, signaling potential directives for all courts across India. This follows a situation where charges weren't framed for over two years in a Bihar case.