Relief for litigants as High Court moves to expedite long-pending cases

For litigants awaiting justice for decades, relief may finally be in sight. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided to advance the hearing of long-pending cases, ensuring that matters stuck in legal limbo for years get expedited consideration. Civil suits dragging on for over 30 years, criminal cases pending for more than 20 years, cheque bounce matters under the Negotiable Instruments Act awaiting disposal for over 15 years, and leave to appeal petitions pending for more than a decade—previously scheduled beyond March 31—will now be heard sooner. The cases will be placed in the “urgent cause list,” increasing their chances of being taken up on the assigned date.

The court has also clarified that cases up to the year 2000, matters concerning senior citizens, crimes against women, differently-abled persons, juveniles, marginalized sections of society, Prevention of Corruption Act cases, those where proceedings before lower courts have been stayed, and remand cases from the Supreme Court, will be given priority. Regular Second Appeals (RSAs) filed up to 2022, where notice of motion has not yet been issued, will also be placed in the urgent cause list.

All cases registered up to 1994 will be listed in the urgent motion cause list. Matters from 1995 onwards that are ordered to be heard along with pre-1994 cases will also be included. Cases from 1995 to 1999 concerning specific subject matters, such as writs related to the Central Administrative Tribunal, all service matters involving judicial officers, challenges to the constitutional validity of service laws, contempt appeals, matrimonial and guardianship cases will again be prioritised in the urgent motion cause list, along with any related cases.

All criminal cases and contempt petitions from 1995 to 2004 will also be listed in the urgent motion cause list. Any case 2005 onwards ordered to be heard with these matters will also be included. Similarly, all Letters Patent Appeals (LPA) and Tax Appeals filed under the Ordinary Motion will now be placed in the urgent list at the first instance.

The high court has also directed that civil and criminal cases where interim orders effectively stall final decisions by trial courts, first appellate courts, or executing courts will be prioritized. Admitted cases from 1995 to 2001, excluding criminal cases and contempt petitions, will be listed in the ordinary motion cause list. Criminal revisions pending for over 10 years from 2005–2014, cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act pending for over three years from 2005–2021 and various other long-pending civil, arbitration, company law, tax, and probate matters will be expedited.

Cases involving sitting or former MPs and MLAs will be placed in the motion list. Applications for placing documents on record without additional prayers will be listed on the date of the main case. Applications in decided cases will be listed before the same bench that initially heard them, while execution applications in decided civil writ petitions and revival applications in contempt petitions will be scheduled per the roster.