NEW DELHI: The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said on Friday that while the winter vacation formally begins on December 20, the Supreme Court would will hold a special sitting on December 22, to hear genuinely urgent matters.
“All those who are in the queue today, seeking listing, will you argue on Monday? We are ready to sit on Monday,” CJI Kant said.
On Friday, a three-judge bench of the CJI, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, said, “We will sit on Monday to hear the urgency in matters,” the CJI said.
He also clarified that the court was not going to burden other judges, who have to study case files late at night to hear new cases. “I will not bother any other bench,” the CJI said, adding that the registry will find out the urgency and list the matter accordingly.
CJI Kant also clarified that the decision on whether one or more benches would sit on December 22, would depend on the number of genuinely urgent matters received.
The observations were made during oral mentioning of cases by lawyers seeking urgent listing on the last working day before the winter vacation.
The Chief Justice added that no fresh matters would be listed for hearing on Friday itself, citing the heavy workload already borne by judges.
“There has been massive filing this week. The hon’ble judges have spent the entire night reading briefs. I am not going to ask them to read a new brief today,” the CJI said, refusing to permit same-day listings.
He said that matters would be listed on December 22 only if counsels were willing to argue them on that day. “Wherever you give an urgent memo, we will find out if there is an actual urgency and list on Monday. The only condition is that you will have to argue on Monday,” he added.
The Chief Justice further stated that the number of benches would be decided after assessing the volume of such cases on December 22.
On Friday, the Bench had observed that many of them did not disclose any pressing urgency. “These matters can wait till January or even April 2026,” the court remarked.
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