CJI Kant bars oral mentioning for urgent court hearings during winter break
Lawyers must now submit written reasons to Registry for winter vacation listings, as the special bench sets tentative dates for sittings on December 26 and 29
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday (December 22) asked lawyers seeking urgent hearings during the Supreme Court’s winter vacation to approach the Registry with written reasons, making it clear that oral mentioning of cases would no longer suffice during the recess.
Urgency under scrutiny
Sitting with Justice Joymalya Bagchi on a special vacation bench constituted to hear time-sensitive matters, the CJI said the Registry would scrutinise the urgency cited and, if found justified, list such cases tentatively on December 26 or December 29.
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As the bench commenced hearing of the cases, lawyers started mentioning cases for urgent hearing.
"Instead of mentioning, furnish reasons to the Registry. The reasons will be scrutinised; if found urgent, it shall be tentatively listed either on December 26 or December 29," the CJI said.
Special sittings
The special sitting on Monday was aimed at providing judicial access during the Christmas and New Year recess without allowing routine cases to crowd the vacation docket.
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On Friday, CJI Kant had said he was willing to sit on December 22, the first day of the Supreme Court’s winter break, to hear urgent matters, signalling the court’s readiness to intervene in exceptional cases.