In a significant move aimed at clearing the backlog of major constitutional questions, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant announced on Tuesday that he will soon constitute multiple seven-judge benches to resolve long-standing legal references pending before the Supreme Court.
The announcement signals a major push by the top court to address high-stakes legal questions that have remained undecided for years.
Focus Shifts to Constitution Benches
The Chief Justice shared the development on Tuesday while presiding over a scheduled hearing, which he subsequently adjourned. Pointing to the massive administrative and judicial task ahead, CJI Surya Kant explained that his personal focus would temporarily shift to organizing these larger panels.
“I am going to set up seven-judge benches soon, and hence, I may not get the time to hear the present matter,” the CJI remarked during the proceedings.
Clearing the Constitutional Backlog
The decision to establish these new seven-judge benches follows an active period of high-court reviews. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court successfully wrapped up hearings on two critical nine-judge bench matters.
These included:
- The Legal Definition of ‘Industry’: A highly anticipated review aimed at bringing clarity to labor and commercial operations.
- The Sabarimala Reference: A landmark constitutional matter that concluded its hearings just last week.
With these massive nine-judge reviews now concluded, the formation of the upcoming seven-judge benches marks the next phase in the Supreme Court’s systematic effort to resolve its most complex, multi-judge references. No specific dates or case lists for the upcoming seven-judge benches have been announced yet, but the CJI’s comments indicate that the process is moving swiftly.
