| An appeal against conviction has been pending before the Patna High Court for a considerable period. Is there any mechanism to seek an expedited hearing? |
I will give you the honest answer: there is no fixed timeline for disposal of a criminal appeal before the Patna High Court, and the realistic duration varies significantly depending on the nature and complexity of your matter, the current pendency, and the category into which your appeal falls. The Patna High Court carries a substantial criminal docket, and appeals can take anywhere from several months to a number of years.
That said, the uncertainty about timeline should not leave you feeling passive or helpless. Your most important immediate concern is your liberty while you wait. If you have been convicted and are in custody while the appeal is pending, ensuring that suspension of sentence and bail pending appeal under Section 430 BNSS is in place is the first priority — a pending appeal served from freedom is a fundamentally different experience from one argued from inside a Bihar jail. If bail pending appeal has not yet been secured, move that application at the Patna High Court as a matter of urgency alongside pursuing the main appeal.
Beyond bail, you can seek an early hearing or expedited listing before the Patna High Court where there are genuine compelling grounds: continued custody on a short sentence that may be substantially served before the appeal is heard; a prima facie strong case of miscarriage of justice apparent from the record; age or serious ill-health of the appellant; or — for appeals involving offences against women and children — the statutory disposal directions that apply to certain categories. A well-supported application for early hearing, listing specific and genuine urgency, can meaningfully improve your position in the queue. An experienced criminal appeal advocate at the Patna panel of Aapka Legal Advice who appears regularly before the Patna High Court can identify whether your matter qualifies for expedited listing and file the application effectively.
My practical guidance: secure bail pending appeal first and pursue expedited listing where genuine grounds exist. Do not simply wait and hope.