Allahabad HC slams litigants for fuelling court delays, calls it a ‘menace'

Hindustan Times

02-05-2025

The Allahabad high court has observed that the role of litigants in contributing to judicial delays is often overlooked. Calling it a 'menace' that is 'neither spoken of nor condemned', the court opined that this tendency must be 'firmly discouraged'.
Justice JJ Munir termed it 'surprising' that despite widespread protests over delays in the judicial system, litigants often appear in court only to seek adjournments that suit their convenience.
'It is surprising that despite such widespread protest against delays in courts, citizens of the country, in whatever position they are, when they appear in court as litigants, love to seek time and enjoy adjournments that suit their cause. The contribution of the litigating public to delays in court, which, in fact, is a menace, is neither spoken of nor condemned. In any case, this tendency has to be discouraged firmly,' the court stated in its one-page order dated April 23.
These observations came after the court expressed dismay over a Tehsildar's written instruction to the Chief Standing Counsel (CSC), requesting additional time to submit a report.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Shailendra Prajapati, who alleged that a pond in village Bendui, Post Saren, Pargana Atrauliya, Tehsil Budhanpur, Azamgarh district, had been encroached upon by private parties.
It was pointed out that the Tehsildar of Budhanpur had already passed an eviction order under Section 67 of the UP Revenue Code, 2006, but it had not been executed.
Earlier, on April 10, the court had asked the Tehsildar to submit a report on the non-compliance of the eviction order. However, through the CSC, the Tehsildar requested more time to file the report.
Rejecting the request and rebuking the broader trend of adjournment-seeking, the court, in its April 23 order, directed the Tehsildar to file his affidavit within three days or appear in person on the next date of hearing.