In an effort to manage the burgeoning case backlog, the Supreme Court of India has introduced a significant change to its hearing schedule, allowing benches to hear regular and urgent matters on non-miscellaneous days, specifically Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This decision, sourced from an official within the apex court on Tuesday, marks a shift from the traditional practice previously upheld by the court.
Traditionally, the Supreme Court’s schedule divided the week into miscellaneous and non-miscellaneous days. Mondays and Fridays were designated as miscellaneous days, dedicated to hearing fresh cases and those that required notices. Meanwhile, regular cases, including those previously part-heard, were scheduled for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
The recent change, initiated under the guidance of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, aims to reduce the pendency of “after notice matters” by altering the types of cases heard on non-miscellaneous days. According to a circular from the Supreme Court, “After notice miscellaneous matters, including Transfer Petitions and Bail Matters, shall be listed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with no regular hearing matters listed on Wednesday and Thursday until further orders.”
Furthermore, the circular specifies that special benches or part-heard matters, regardless of their nature, may be scheduled for the post-lunch sessions on these days as per the directions of the competent authority.
This strategic adjustment was reportedly made to address the overwhelming number of pending cases currently overwhelming the system. As of the latest count, there are over 37,317 after notice miscellaneous matters and approximately 21,639 regular matters, including their connected cases.
