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| + | {{htmlmetatags> | ||
| + | ====== RTI for court case delay — filing template and framework (2026) ====== | ||
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| + | {{: | ||
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| + | <WRAP info> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== The story most citizens recognise ===== | ||
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| + | Suresh K. filed a civil suit for specific performance of a sale agreement in the District Court at Pune in **2022**. Four years on, the suit is still on the files. For the last six months it has not appeared on the daily cause list even though it was marked "ripe for hearing" | ||
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| + | Suresh is not alone. Across India, litigants watch their cases slip off the cause list for reasons no one will put in writing. The problem is rarely a single villain. It is usually a combination of three things the court' | ||
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| + | That is the gap the Right to Information Act, 2005 closes. A court is a " | ||
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| + | ===== What court-case-delay RTI actually is ===== | ||
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| + | The single most important thing to understand before you file is that court records split into **two routes**, and mixing them up is the most common reason court RTIs get rejected. The Supreme Court settled this split in **Chief Information Commissioner v. High Court of Gujarat, (2020) 4 SCC 702** (decided 4 March 2020, Bench: R. Banumathi, A.S. Bopanna, Hrishikesh Roy). | ||
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| + | **Route 1 — Judicial side, through court rules, NOT RTI.** Certified copies of orders, judgments, case-file documents, evidence, and the diary of proceedings in a case are obtained through the **High Court' | ||
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| + | **Route 2 — Administrative side, through RTI.** Records that are NOT about the substance of a particular case — judge vacancies, sanctioned versus working strength, court infrastructure, | ||
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| + | <WRAP tip> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== How the listing and pendency machinery works ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | To ask a sharp question, you need to know how a court' | ||
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| + | A District Court complex is run by the **District Judge** with a **Court Manager / Registrar (Administration)** handling the administrative side. Each High Court is run by the **Chief Justice** with a **Registrar General** and a **Registrar (Administration)** who is usually the designated CPIO. The Supreme Court' | ||
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| + | Listing of cases is governed by **cause-list rules** published by each court. These rules decide which cases appear on a given day, in what order, and before which bench. When a case "falls off" the list, the cause is recorded somewhere in the Registry — a judge on leave, a bench reconstitution, | ||
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| + | Pendency statistics are maintained court-wise and case-type-wise on the **National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)** at **https:// | ||
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| + | One boundary the courts have drawn: RTI cannot compel a court to **create** new analytical data it does not already hold. The Delhi High Court in *Harish Lamba* (January 2025) cautioned against RTI applications that demand fresh compilations. So ask for records that already exist — listing registers, cause-list archives, vacancy returns, pendency buckets — not a bespoke report. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== The 2026 update you must know about ===== | ||
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| + | The legal foundation for filing RTI against a court was clinched by the Constitution Bench in **CPIO, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal, (2020) 5 SCC 481** (2019 INSC 1233, decided 13 November 2019, Bench: CJI Ranjan Gogoi, N.V. Ramana, D.Y. Chandrachud, | ||
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| + | - The Supreme Court is a " | ||
| + | - The Chief Justice of India' | ||
| + | - **Judicial independence is NOT a blanket exemption** from the RTI Act. It is a factor in the public-interest balancing test under Section 8(1)(j) read with Section 8(2), not an automatic bar. | ||
| + | - The same logic applies to the High Courts under Articles 214 and 216. | ||
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| + | What this means in 2026 is that the old defensive line — " | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Step-by-step: | ||
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| + | **Step 1 — Identify the right PIO.** | ||
| + | - **District Court matters:** the PIO designated by the District Judge — usually the Court Manager or Registrar (Administration) of that court complex. | ||
| + | - **High Court matters:** the Registrar (Administration) or the designated CPIO of that High Court (each HC notifies its CPIO and First Appellate Authority under its own RTI rules). | ||
| + | - **Supreme Court matters:** the CPIO, Supreme Court of India, Tilak Marg, New Delhi-110001. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Step 2 — Frame administrative-side questions only.** Five strong sample questions, each tied to a record the Registry actually holds: | ||
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| + | - **" | ||
| + | - **" | ||
| + | - **" | ||
| + | - **" | ||
| + | - **" | ||
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| + | **Step 3 — Pay the right fee the right way.** | ||
| + | - For the **Supreme Court**: Rs.10 by cash, Indian Postal Order, Money Order, or Demand Draft drawn in favour of " | ||
| + | - For **High Courts and District Courts**: Rs.10 (or the amount your State RTI Rules prescribe), by the modes notified in those rules. Check your HC's RTI rules page before filing. | ||
| + | - You can also file **online through the Central RTI portal (rtionline.gov.in)** for the Supreme Court and pay by debit/ | ||
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| + | **Step 4 — Submit and keep proof.** File by hand at the PIO's office and take a stamped receiving copy, or send by registered post and keep the acknowledgement, | ||
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| + | **Step 5 — Wait 30 days.** Under Section 7(1) the PIO must reply within **30 days** (48 hours where the information concerns the life or liberty of a person). If third-party procedure under Section 11 is triggered, the limit extends to 40 days. If the PIO exceeds the limit, the information must be supplied **free of charge** under Section 7(6); day-31 non-reply is a deemed refusal and the trigger for your first appeal. | ||
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| + | **Step 6 — Use the citizen tools to track the case itself.** Before and after filing, check your case status on the **eCourts Services portal (https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Documents to attach ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - A copy of the court' | ||
| + | - Proof of fee payment — the IPO counterfoil, | ||
| + | - Copies of any earlier applications for early hearing and the court' | ||
| + | - A self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the reply by post (some State RTI Rules require this). | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Common mistakes to avoid ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - **Asking for certified copies of orders via RTI.** Per *CIC v. High Court of Gujarat, (2020) 4 SCC 702*, judicial-side copies go through the court' | ||
| + | - **Demanding fresh analysis the Registry does not hold.** The Delhi High Court in *Harish Lamba* (January 2025) held RTI cannot compel a court to create new analytical data. Ask for already-maintained registers and statistics, not a bespoke report. | ||
| + | - **Addressing the judge instead of the PIO.** The Bench does not hold administrative records; the Registrar (Administration) does. Address the application to the CPIO by designation, | ||
| + | - **Using the wrong fee or mode.** The Supreme Court does not accept court fee stamps or cheques — only cash, IPO, MO or DD. State courts follow their own RTI Rules; filing with the wrong fee is the easiest way to get a rejection. | ||
| + | - **Missing the first-appeal window.** If no reply arrives by day 30, file the first appeal under Section 19(1) within **30 days** (extendable for sufficient cause). Waiting too long bars the second appeal. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== The escalation ladder if you get no answer ===== | ||
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| + | - **First appeal — Section 19(1):** to the First Appellate Authority (an officer senior in rank to the CPIO — for the Supreme Court, a Registrar; for HCs, the notified FAA). File within **30 days** of the PIO's deadline. The FAA must dispose of the appeal within **30 days, extendable to 45** under Section 19(6). No fee under the Central Rules. | ||
| + | - **Second appeal — Section 19(3):** to the **Central Information Commission** for Supreme Court matters, or your **State Information Commission** for High Court and District Court matters, within **90 days** (extendable for sufficient cause). No fee under the Central Rules. | ||
| + | - **Complaint — Section 18:** a direct complaint to the Information Commission is available where the PIO never replied at all or refused to accept the application. | ||
| + | - **Penalty — Section 20(1):** the Commission can impose a penalty of **Rs.250 per day** (maximum Rs.25,000) on the PIO for unreasonable refusal or delay, and under Section 20(2) recommend disciplinary action. | ||
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| + | For court RTIs, the most common outcome is that the PIO replies with part of the information and routes the rest to the " | ||
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| + | <WRAP note> | ||
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| + | ===== Real-life example ===== | ||
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| + | <WRAP center round box> | ||
| + | **Suresh K., Pune, Maharashtra — District Court specific performance suit pending since 2022.** | ||
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| + | Suresh' | ||
| + | </ | ||
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| + | ===== Sample RTI letter ===== | ||
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| + | < | ||
| + | To, | ||
| + | The Public Information Officer | ||
| + | [Supreme Court of India, Tilak Marg, New Delhi-110001 | ||
| + | / Registrar (Administration), | ||
| + | / Court Manager, District Court, ____] | ||
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| + | Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 | ||
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| + | Sir / Madam, | ||
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| + | I am a party / counsel in Case No. _____ (titled _____ v. _____), CNR No. _____, pending in this Hon' | ||
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| + | 1. The date-wise reason for non-listing of the above case on each date it was not taken up in the daily cause list during the period _____ to _____, as recorded in the listing register or administrative file. | ||
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| + | 2. The sanctioned versus working strength of judges in the _____ court complex as on _____, with the number of vacant posts and the date of vacancy for each. | ||
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| + | 3. The age-wise pendency of [case type] cases in the _____ court as already maintained by the Registry, in the buckets of less than 1 year, 1 to 3 years, 3 to 5 years and above 5 years. | ||
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| + | 4. The number of adjournments granted in the above case during the last 12 months and the recorded reason for each adjournment, | ||
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| + | 5. The name and designation of the dealing court master / branch officer for the above case and the designation and address of the First Appellate Authority under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. | ||
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| + | I state that the information sought is on the administrative side of the court and is not a request for certified copies of judicial records, which I understand are governed by the applicable Court Rules (see CIC v. High Court of Gujarat, (2020) 4 SCC 702). | ||
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| + | Fee of Rs.10 is remitted by [Indian Postal Order No. _____ / Demand Draft No. _____ / cash against receipt]. | ||
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| + | Yours faithfully, | ||
| + | [Name] | ||
| + | [Full address] | ||
| + | [Date] | ||
| + | </ | ||
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| + | ===== Frequently asked questions ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can I get a certified copy of my court order through RTI? ==== | ||
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| + | No. Per *Chief Information Commissioner v. High Court of Gujarat, (2020) 4 SCC 702*, certified copies of orders, judgments and case-file documents are on the **judicial side** and must be obtained through the court' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Is a court really a public authority under the RTI Act? ==== | ||
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| + | Yes. The Constitution Bench in *CPIO, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal, (2020) 5 SCC 481* held that the Supreme Court is a public authority under Section 2(h)(a) — established by Article 124 — and the High Courts are the same under Article 214. Judicial independence is a factor in the Section 8(1)(j) balancing test, not a blanket exemption. | ||
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| + | ==== Who is the PIO for the Supreme Court? ==== | ||
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| + | The CPIO, Supreme Court of India, Tilak Marg, New Delhi-110001 — an officer of the rank of Additional Registrar. The First Appellate Authority is a Registrar of the Supreme Court. Use the designation and address, not a personal name, since officers rotate with transfers. | ||
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| + | ==== What fee do I pay and how? ==== | ||
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| + | Rs.10. For the Supreme Court, pay by cash, Indian Postal Order, Money Order or Demand Draft favouring " | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== What if the PIO says " | ||
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| + | That is imprecise. Cite the two-route split from *CIC v. High Court of Gujarat, (2020) 4 SCC 702*: judicial-side copies go through court rules, but administrative-side records (vacancy, listing logic, infrastructure, | ||
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| + | ==== The PIO says the information concerns a third party. Is that the end? ==== | ||
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| + | No. If third-party procedure under Section 11 is triggered, the time limit extends to **40 days** while the third party is heard. The PIO must still apply the Section 8(1) exemptions and the public-interest test under Section 8(2) before refusing. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Where does my second appeal go — Central or State Commission? ==== | ||
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| + | For Supreme Court matters, to the **Central Information Commission**. For High Court and District Court matters, to your **State Information Commission**. File within **90 days** of the FAA's order under Section 19(3). There is no fee under the Central Rules. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can the court be forced to compile new statistics for my case? ==== | ||
| + | |||
| + | No. The Delhi High Court in *Harish Lamba* (January 2025) held that RTI cannot compel a public authority to create new analytical data. Ask for records the Registry already maintains — listing registers, cause-list archives, vacancy returns, age-wise pendency buckets — not a fresh report. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== How do I check my case status without an RTI? ==== | ||
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| + | Use the **eCourts Services portal (https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Can a penalty be imposed on a court PIO who delays? ==== | ||
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| + | Yes. Under Section 20(1) the Information Commission can impose a penalty of Rs.250 per day (maximum Rs.25,000) on the PIO for unreasonable refusal or delay, and under Section 20(2) recommend disciplinary action. This is rare but available, and the possibility itself often secures a reply. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Related on RTI Wiki ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - [[rti-for-beginners]] — the RTI primer if this is your first application | ||
| + | - [[rti-for-bail-records]] — getting bail and court records through the right route | ||
| + | - [[rti-for-fir-status-2026]] — FIR and police case-status RTI, the case-status family | ||
| + | - [[court-order-not-uploaded-online-case-status-wrong]] — when the order is missing from the online case status | ||
| + | - [[certified-copy-fir-chargesheet-closure-report-not-provided]] — the judicial-side certified-copy route | ||
| + | - [[old-court-order-copy-not-traceable]] — recovering an old court order copy | ||
| + | - [[divorce-decree-certified-copy-delayed-family-court]] — certified-copy delay in family courts | ||
| + | - [[rti-for-government-scheme-delay]] — the delay-pain family, for scheme delays | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Tools to help you file ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - **AI RTI Drafter** — auto-fill the PIO, FAA and sample questions for your specific court and state: https:// | ||
| + | - **First Appeal Drafter** — when the 30-day reply does not come: https:// | ||
| + | - **PIO Reply Checker** — test whether the PIO's refusal is legally valid: https:// | ||
| + | - **Timeline Calculator** — work out your 30-day, first-appeal and second-appeal deadlines: https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Sources ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | - Supreme Court of India — *CPIO, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal*, (2020) 5 SCC 481, judgment PDF dated 13 November 2019: [api.sci.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | - Indian Kanoon — *Chief Information Commissioner v. High Court of Gujarat*, (2020) 4 SCC 702 (decided 4 March 2020): [indiankanoon.org](https:// | ||
| + | - LiveLaw — Copy of court documents not through RTI (report on the Gujarat HC SC judgment): [livelaw.in](https:// | ||
| + | - Supreme Court of India — official RTI page (CPIO address, fee and mode): [sci.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | - Central Information Commission — second appeal procedure: [cic.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | - eCommittee, Supreme Court — eCourts Services portal: [ecommitteesci.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | - eCourts Services — case status, cause lists, orders and judgments: [services.ecourts.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | - National Judicial Data Grid — live pendency dashboard: [njdg.ecourts.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | - SCC Online — *M.P. Chothy v. Registrar General, High Court of Kerala* (20 July 2022), upholding Rule 12 of the RTI (Subordinate Courts and Tribunals) Rules, 2006: [scconline.com](https:// | ||
| + | - The Hindu — CIC holds file notings on Supreme Court Rules 2013 not exempt from RTI (August 2016): [thehindu.com](https:// | ||
| + | - Central RTI online portal: [rtionline.gov.in](https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | //Last reviewed: 4 July 2026.// | ||
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| + | {{tag> | ||