The Supreme Court of India has introduced a new policy to address the increasing backlog of cases by allowing part-heard regular and urgent matters to be heard on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna emphasized prioritizing critical cases, including Transfer Petitions and Bail Matters. This initiative will be reviewed in December 2024 to evaluate its effectiveness.
New Delhi: In a significant move aimed at reducing the growing backlog of cases, the Supreme Court has reportedly announced a new policy where part-heard regular and urgent matters can now be heard on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, also known as non-miscellaneous days. This decision comes in response to the rising pendency of cases, particularly “after notice matters”, and is expected to streamline the court’s case management system.
Previously, the Supreme Court benches heard regular cases, including part-heard regular matters, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. These days, known as non-miscellaneous days, were typically reserved for ongoing hearings. On the other hand, Mondays and Fridays, referred to as miscellaneous days, were set aside for fresh cases and matters that came up after the issuance of notices.
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Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, who took charge recently, has implemented changes to ensure faster hearings of critical cases.
“Henceforth, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after notice miscellaneous matters, including Transfer Petitions and Bail Matters shall be listed and no regular hearing matter shall be listed on Wednesday and Thursday till further orders,”
the CJI’s circular stated. This move aims to prioritize the hearing of urgent matters, including Transfer Petitions and Bail Matters, in order to tackle the mounting case pendency.
As per the new policy, the Supreme Court benches will also have the option to hear part-heard regular matters or urgent cases during the post-lunch session on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The source further explained that the judges would have flexibility in deciding which cases to prioritize based on the court’s convenience.
The Supreme Court’s decision to introduce these changes was primarily driven by the need to reduce the number of “after notice matters”, which currently stand at over 37,317, including 20,930 main cases and 16,387 connected matters. Additionally, about 21,639 regular matters are awaiting hearing, consisting of 10,988 main cases and 10,651 connected cases.
The CJI’s initiative will be reviewed in December 2024 or sooner if necessary, in order to evaluate its impact on reducing pendency. The move has been welcomed as a step toward improving the efficiency of the judiciary while addressing the growing concerns around case backlogs.
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