CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for judicial officers across the state to streamline the process of seeking extensions in time-bound judicial matters, following directions from the Supreme Court.
The move is aimed to bring uniformity and transparency to the extension process in time-bound cases, ensuring judicial discipline and institutional oversight in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive.
The SOP, notified by registrar general Asanta Kumar Das, is in response to observations made by the apex court in a case on May 23. The court expressed concern over direct communications from trial court judges to its registry, a practice deemed “wholly unacceptable”. It clarified that such communications must be routed through the high court’s registry.
The newly issued SOP mandates that all judicial officers, including district judges and judges of family courts, must submit extension requests via official email and regular mode to the registrar (judicial) of the high court. These requests must include case details, current status, reasons for delay and the period of extension sought, formatted as per a prescribed annexure.
For cases monitored by the Supreme Court, the high court registrar (judicial) will forward the request to the appropriate officer in the apex court’s registry. Direct communication by any presiding officer with the Supreme Court registry is strictly prohibited.
The SOP emphasises accountability, stating that repeated or unjustified delays may invite administrative scrutiny. Further, district judges and the registrar (judicial) are tasked with monthly monitoring of such cases and maintaining records for periodic reporting to the court.