The High Court of Delhi has issued a notification outlining the arrangement for the mentioning and hearing of urgent matters during the upcoming Winter Vacation of 2025. The notification, issued under the direction of the Chief Justice, specifies the roster of Judges who will be sitting during the vacation period commencing from late December 2025 to early January 2026.
According to Notification No. 118/Estt/EI-I/DHC dated December 23, 2025, the Chief Justice has nominated specific Benches to address urgent Civil and Criminal matters. The schedule is divided into four periods:
- December 25, 2025 to December 28, 2025: The Bench will comprise Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vikas Mahajan and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vinod Kumar.
- December 29, 2025 to December 30, 2025: Urgent matters will be heard by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sachin Datta and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar.
- December 31, 2025 to January 1, 2026: The roster includes Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sachin Datta and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Anish Dayal.
- January 2, 2026 to January 4, 2026: The Bench will consist of Hon’ble Ms. Justice Shail Jain and Hon’ble Ms. Justice Madhu Jain.
Operational Guidelines for the Vacation Bench
The notification, signed by Registrar General Arun Bhardwaj, lays down specific procedural guidelines for the functioning of the Court during this period:
- Nature of Benches: The nominated Judges will sit in Division Benches and also singly to adjudicate urgent Civil and Criminal matters, as well as other matters placed before them as per the schedule.
- Sitting Days and Timings: Ordinarily, the Hon’ble Judges will sit in Court on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on such other days as they deem fit. The court proceedings are scheduled to commence at 10:30 A.M. The notification clarifies that sittings may continue to the next succeeding day if matters fixed for a particular day are not concluded.
- Unforeseen Availability: The High Court has made provisions for contingencies. If one of the Hon’ble Judges is unavailable on any given day due to unforeseen reasons, the other Hon’ble Judge is authorized to sit alone. However, this is subject to the strict condition that the Judge sitting alone shall not dismiss Division Bench matters.
This arrangement ensures that the High Court remains accessible for urgent judicial relief even during the customary winter break.
