Today, On 25th November, Supreme Court sharply questioned a lawyer over repeated adjournment requests, asking, “Who is accountable for the 90,000 pending cases in this court?” The Bench warned that constant delays only harm litigants and reflect a lack of preparation.
The Supreme Court strongly criticised a lawyer for repeatedly asking for more time to take instructions instead of giving direct answers during the hearing.
The Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan questioned why the lawyer was not ready even though the cause list had been available well in advance.
At the beginning, Justice Nagarathna asked,
“Who is accountable for the 90,000 pending cases in this court?”
She noted that whenever the Bench sought a clarification, the lawyer responded by asking for instructions and an adjournment.
She pointed to this pattern and said,
“Every time we ask something, counsel asks for instructions and adjournment. Lists are published days in advance why aren’t you prepared?”
Justice Nagarathna further stressed that unnecessary delays only harm the litigants and do not improve the functioning of the justice system.
She reminded the Bar about the duty to assist the Court, stating,
“Adjournments may benefit lawyers, but they don’t help litigants. This is not the assistance the Court expects.”