As the Supreme Court prepares to close for its winter recess, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant today confirmed that a special vacation bench will sit on December 22 to take up cases involving genuine urgency, ensuring that matters affecting personal liberty and immediate relief are not left in limbo.
The announcement came amid repeated oral requests from lawyers seeking same-day urgent listings, citing the imminent closure of the Court for winter vacations. With regular hearings set to resume only on January 5, 2025, the Bench was pressed to balance institutional workload with litigants’ claims of urgency.
The Chief Justice made it clear that last-minute filings had surged during the final week, placing judges under severe strain as they worked through extensive briefs late into the night.
Declining to permit any further listings on Friday, the Chief Justice underlined that judicial readiness cannot be compromised by rushed scheduling. He told the Bar, “I am not going to ask them to read a new brief today,” noting that judges were already overburdened due to heavy filings. Laying down a firm standard, the Court clarified that only matters demonstrating real and immediate urgency, such as bail, child custody, or protection from arrest, would be taken up.
Such cases will be scrutinised by the Registry and, if found deserving, listed on December 22, with the number of benches to be decided based on volume. Crucially, the Court made clear that any matter listed must be argued that very day.
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