“Travesty of Justice”: Supreme Court Slams Alarming Pendency of 8.8 Lakh Execution Petitions Nationwide

Calling the situation “highly disappointing” and “alarming,” the Apex Court warned that justice itself would lose meaning if decrees passed by courts are not implemented for years.

The Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Pankaj Mithal noted that although some progress had been made since the Court’s earlier order, with over 3.38 lakh execution petitions disposed of since March 2025, the overall pendency continues to remain shockingly high, defeating the purpose of judicial adjudication.

“After the decree is passed, if it is going to take years and years to execute the decree, then it makes no sense and would be nothing short of a travesty of justice,” the Bench observed in its detailed order dated October 16, 2025.

The Court emphasised that the enforcement of decrees is an integral part of the justice delivery process. A decree that remains unexecuted, it said, renders the entire litigation meaningless and erodes public faith in the judicial system. The Bench remarked that decree-holders, after years of litigation, should not have to fight a second battle merely to realise the fruits of a judgment already in their favour.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court, while deciding a four-decade-old property dispute, had issued a comprehensive direction to all High Courts to collect data from their respective district judiciaries and ensure that all pending execution petitions were decided within six months. The Bench had further made it clear that presiding officers who failed to ensure compliance would be answerable on the administrative side of their respective High Courts.

The consolidated compliance reports now placed before the apex court reveal the sheer scale of the problem. According to the figures, Maharashtra alone accounts for more than 3.4 lakh pending execution petitions, followed by Tamil Nadu with over 86,000, Kerala with nearly 83,000, Andhra Pradesh with 68,000, and Uttar Pradesh with over 27,000. The total number of execution petitions pending across the country stands at a staggering 8,82,578.

Reacting to the figures, the Supreme Court said: “The statistics which we have received are highly disappointing. The figures of pendency of execution petitions across the country are alarming. This clearly shows that our earlier directions have not been implemented in their true spirit.”

The Bench also took serious note of the non-compliance by the Karnataka High Court, which failed to furnish any data despite the Court’s previous order. Expressing displeasure, the Bench directed the Registrar General of the Karnataka High Court to submit a written explanation within two weeks, observing that such disregard for the Court’s directions “cannot be ignored.”

“The Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka owes an explanation as to why he has failed to provide us with the necessary information. This kind of indifference is unacceptable when the matter involves the administration of justice,” the order recorded.

Reiterating the importance of effective enforcement mechanisms, the Supreme Court granted a further period of six months to all High Courts for compliance. It directed them to closely monitor their district courts, evolve standard operating procedures for swift execution, and take corrective administrative measures to ensure that decrees are implemented within reasonable time.

The Bench observed that delay in the execution stage often renders the earlier litigation futile, as decree-holders are forced to spend years in additional proceedings merely to enforce what has already been judicially determined in their favour. “Such prolonged delays shake public confidence in the justice delivery system,” the Court said, urging High Courts to treat the issue as a matter of institutional priority.

In concluding its order, the Supreme Court underscored that justice must not only be delivered but also effectively enforced. “A decree that remains on paper without execution is meaningless. If a litigant has to wait endlessly even after securing a decree, it would amount to denial of justice and make the entire process a mockery,” the Bench said.

The matter will now be listed again on April 10, 2026, when all High Courts are required to submit updated status reports detailing both the number of pending and disposed execution petitions and the steps taken for institutional reform in this regard.