New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) The Supreme Court will hold a special vacation sitting on December 22 to hear genuinely urgent matters during the winter break, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant announced on Friday, the last working day before the court rose for vacation.
The CJI said urgent matters would be taken up only after strict scrutiny of claims of urgency. He clarified that the decision on whether one or more benches would sit on December 22 would depend on the number of cases found to involve real and immediate urgency. Regular court sittings will resume on January 5, 2026.
The observations were made during oral mentioning of cases by lawyers seeking urgent listing. The Chief Justice made it clear that no fresh matters would be listed for hearing on Friday itself, citing the heavy workload already borne by judges.
“There has been massive filing this week. The judges have spent the entire night reading briefs. I am not going to ask them to read a new brief today,” the CJI said, declining requests for same-day listings.
When a counsel pressed for urgent listing, the CJI questioned whether those seeking listings were prepared to argue the matters during the vacation. “All those who are in the queue seeking listing, will you argue on Monday? We are ready to sit on Monday,” he remarked.
Emphasising that urgency would be closely examined, the Chief Justice stated that matters would be listed on December 22 only if counsels were willing to argue them on that day.
“Wherever you give an urgent memo, we will find out if there is an actual urgency and list on Monday. The only condition is that you will have to argue on Monday,” he told the Bar.
Addressing mentions relating to child custody disputes, bail pleas and requests for protection from arrest, the CJI said the Registry would first assess whether genuine urgency existed.
“If it is found that there is genuine urgency, interim bail or custody issue, then we will list the matter on December 22,” he said, adding that the number of benches would be decided after assessing the volume of such cases.
The Chief Justice also recalled his remarks made on December 18, when he had indicated the possibility of a vacation sitting. “If you are willing to come on Monday, December 22, I will persuade one of the Judges to sit with me during the Winter Vacation,” he had said at the time.
Reiterating the Court’s firm approach against routine matters being projected as urgent, the Bench noted that several cases mentioned earlier did not disclose any pressing urgency. “These matters can wait till January or even April 2026,” the Court had observed.
While the winter vacation formally begins on December 19, the Supreme Court clarified that urgent matters remain maintainable during the break, subject to scrutiny.
SC to hold special vacation sitting on Dec 22 for urgent matters: CJI
