In a rare move, CJI B R Gavai will hold court during the summer break. The Supreme Court has notified 21 benches to function during this partial vacation period.
New Delhi: In a major shift from tradition, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai will be holding court hearings during the summer vacation from May 26 to June 1, 2025.
This breaks away from the long-standing practice where senior judges, including the Chief Justice, generally do not conduct court proceedings during the summer break.
According to a recent notification issued by the Supreme Court, 21 benches have been nominated to hear cases during the vacation period, marking a significant expansion in judicial activity compared to previous years when only two or three benches used to function.
The CJI’s decision is seen as a proactive step toward improving judicial efficiency during a time when courts typically slow down.
From May 26 to June 1, five benches will conduct court hearings.
These benches include CJI Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta, Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar, Justices J K Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar, and Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma.
For the week of June 2 to June 8, three benches will take over the proceedings, comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma, Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and S V N Bhatti, and Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih.
The next week, from June 9 to June 15, two benches will operate: Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, and Justices S V N Bhatti and P B Varale.
Between June 16 and June 22, court proceedings will continue with two benches—Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan, and Justices Sandeep Mehta and P B Varale. From June 23 to June 29, three more benches will be active.
These will include Justices K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh, Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran, and Justices Sandeep Mehta and Joymalya Bagchi.
The trend continues into July. From June 30 to July 6, three benches will hear cases: Justices M M Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran, Justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan, and Justices Manoj Misra and N Kotiswar Singh.
For the final week of the vacation schedule, from July 7 to July 13, three benches will once again be operational.
These include Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, Justices Pankaj Mithal and K V Viswanathan, and Justices Rajesh Bindal and R Mahadevan.
During the entire vacation period—from May 26 to July 13—the Supreme Court Registry will remain open from 10 AM to 5 PM on all working days.
This excludes Sundays and other official holidays, as well as Saturdays, except for July 12, 2025, when the registry will remain open.
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The expanded vacation bench schedule and continued registry operation reflect a more responsive and dynamic judicial approach aimed at reducing case backlogs and ensuring that justice delivery is not interrupted, even during the traditional summer break.
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