On Monday, the Supreme Court mandated that all exceptionally urgent matters must be mentioned exclusively before the Chief Justice of India, even when the CJI is occupied with Constitution Bench proceedings. The move tightens courtroom protocol and centralises urgent case listing, signalling a clear attempt to streamline how urgent relief is sought in the Apex Court.
Traditionally, when the Chief Justice was unavailable or engaged in Constitution Bench hearings, lawyers would mention urgent matters before the next senior-most judge for immediate listing. This practice offered flexibility in urgent situations. However, the latest circular changes approach by removing this alternative route altogether. The Court has now drawn a clear procedural line, requiring all such urgent mentions to be routed only through the Chief Justice’s court, regardless of scheduling constraints, thereby eliminating forum variation in urgent listings.
The Supreme Court clarified that urgency cannot justify deviation from procedural discipline, stating that “exceptionally urgent matters… are permitted before Court No. 1, even when the Hon’ble Chief Justice is presiding over a Constitution Bench.” By expressly barring mentioning before any other Bench, the Court has reinforced the central role of the Chief Justice in case allocation and urgent listings. The operative direction makes it clear that no parallel or alternate mentioning mechanism will be entertained going forward.
Source Link
Picture Source :
