NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all the high courts to submit details of pending trials related to acid attack cases across the country within four weeks, terming the 16-year delay in one of the trials in a Delhi court as a "national shame".

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also issued notices to the Centre and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on a PIL filed by acid attack survivor Shaheen Malik.

The bench termed as "national shame" the prolonged delay in Malik's own case, which has been pending since 2009 before a Rohini court here.

"What a mockery of the legal system! This is such a shame. If the national capital cannot handle this, then who will? This is national shame," the bench said.

The CJI asked

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