Supreme Court directs High Courts to frame SOP for monitoring expedited cases/ trial

The Supreme Court recently directed the High Courts across India to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for monitoring cases in which the top court has issued directions to expedite the trial..The Bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Aravind Kumar deemed as unacceptable the practice of trial judges directly corresponding with the top court registry in such matters.“In cases, where a direction to conclude the trial, suit or appeal is issued by this Court, it is the duty of the Registry of the High Court concerned to supervise the progress of such cases. If an extension is required, it may be granted with the satisfaction of the immediate supervisory officer and the correspondence in this regard shall be forwarded to this Court by either Registrar General or Registrar Judicial proposing the same,” it said..Taking note of the fact that Madhya Pradesh High Court already has framed an SOP in this regard, the Court said,“To carve out the said practice in other High Courts, it is essential to communicate this Order to the Registrar Generals of the respective High Courts so that they may place the matter before the Hon’ble the Chief Justice for preparation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining the manner in which cases wherein directions have been issued to expedite the hearing or conclusion of trial, suit or appeal shall be corresponded with the registry of this Court.”.The bench directed the registry to send the order to all the Registrar Generals of the High Courts for corrective measures and submission of their report. The matter will be taken up for hearing after one month.The direction was passed in a criminal case in which the top court, while denying bail to the accused in 2023, had directed that the trial be completed within 18 months..Advocate Ansar Ahmad Chaudhary represented the petitioner.Advocates Poornima Singh and Arvind Kumar Sharma represented the respondents.[Read Order]