Today, On 11th November, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has expressed openness to revisiting the use of letter circulation for adjournment requests and the reintroduction of physical cause lists. The Supreme Court initially banned adjournment requests via letter in December last year, later restricting their use in certain urgent case types. Proponents argue that allowing letter circulation offers flexibility, while opponents believe it leads to delays. CJI Khanna’s consideration signals a potential shift in balancing procedural efficiency with timely case handling.
New Delhi: Today, the newly sworn-in Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, agreed to consider a lawyer’s request concerning the practice of seeking adjournments through letter circulation.
Additionally, he indicated a willingness to review a proposal to reintroduce physical cause lists in the Supreme Court, a document that provides a daily schedule of cases listed for hearing.
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The current rules regarding letter circulation for adjournments stem from a series of changes made by the Supreme Court last year. In December, the Court issued a temporary ban on adjournment requests via letter circulation, following concerns over frequent and often unwarranted requests that disrupted the court’s schedule and delayed justice in critical cases.
Then, in February of this year, the Court implemented a revised procedure with clear restrictions on adjournment requests by letter circulation, aiming to prevent unnecessary delays and ensure a smoother case flow.
Under the revised February guidelines, adjournment requests through letter circulation are not accepted in specific categories of cases. These include matters related to bail or anticipatory bail where an exemption from surrender is sought, cases where an interim order favouring the party requesting adjournment is active, and cases involving requests for suspension of sentence.
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For both fresh and regular hearing cases, the circulation of adjournment letters is explicitly prohibited, highlighting the Court’s efforts to minimize unnecessary postponements.
The recent request to allow letter circulation again reflects ongoing discussions within the judiciary about balancing efficiency and flexibility in court procedures. Proponents of letter circulation argue that it allows lawyers to manage schedules efficiently, especially for cases with unexpected developments. Critics, however, maintain that adjournments through letters are frequently overused and contribute to delays, especially in cases requiring swift resolution, such as bail and urgent civil matters.
CJI Khanna’s willingness to consider these requests signals a potential openness to reforming court procedures in response to practitioners’ concerns, provided these changes align with the Court’s objectives of timely and effective justice delivery.