The Supreme Court has fixed deadlines for deciding long-pending criminal cases in high courts and trial courts across the country. Issuing a slew of directions to all high courts, a bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit said yesterday, denial of speedy justice is a threat to public confidence in the administration of justice. It said the fundamental right to speedy trial cannot be denied even on the plea of non-availability of financial resources.<br/><br/>The Apex court asked the high courts to issue directions to subordinate courts to decide bail pleas normally within one week, besides asking magistrates to conclude trial in petty offences, where undertrials are in jails, within six months.<br/>The apex court said, sessions courts will have to conclude trials in serious offences within two years, if the accused are in jail, adding that strict adherence to the timeline be ensured by making it a part of Annual Confidential Reports of judicial officers. It said efforts be made to dispose of all cases which are five years old by the end of the year. The bench also asked the high courts to prepare, issue and monitor appropriate action plans for subordinate courts.<br/><br/>The apex court said appropriate monitoring mechanism on the administrative side as well as on the judicial side be set up by high courts for speedy disposal of cases of undertrials pending in subordinate courts and appeals pending in high courts.