New Delhi, Dec 1 (UNI) With sweeping procedural reforms taking effect from Monday, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has introduced new guidelines aimed at streamlining the listing of cases before the Supreme Court.
Under the revised system, urgent mentioning will now be strictly limited to exceptionally urgent matters such as imminent executions, anticipatory bail, eviction, dispossession or demolition.
The reforms are designed to curb the daily rush of lawyers seeking urgent listings and to save valuable court time.
CJI Surya Kant has issued four circulars outlining the new listing mechanism, which mandates automatic listing of most fresh matters, particularly those involving personal liberty, without the need for oral mentioning.
According to the Supreme Court’s new framework, fresh cases will be listed automatically after scrutiny, eliminating the need for litigants or lawyers to seek mentioning for early listing.
Personal liberty cases will be listed within two working days and fresh matters concerning individual liberty that require urgent interim relief will be listed within two working days of verification and removal of defects.
To expedite bail hearings, counsel must serve advance copies on the designated Nodal Officer or Standing Counsel for the Union, State or union Territory concerned.
Exceptionally urgent matters are to be mentioned between 10–10:30 AM. Only cases involving anticipatory bail, death penalty, habeas corpus, eviction, dispossession or demolition may be mentioned for urgent listing within this time window.
Other fresh matters would follow the existing schedule. All remaining categories of cases will be listed in the ordinary course as per the current practice.
Senior Counsel will not be permitted to make oral mentionings before any Bench. Junior lawyers are to be encouraged to make necessary oral requests.
To ensure progress in long-pending cases, adjournment letters in old regular hearing matters will not be entertained.
CJI Surya Kant emphasised that the reforms aim to make the system efficient, reduce congestion in daily hearings, and ensure that urgent matters, especially those involving personal liberty, receive prompt judicial attention without procedural delays. UNI SNG SAS SSP
