The Supreme Court of India has accepted a request from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to restrict the entry of law interns into its courtrooms on miscellaneous hearing days, namely Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. The decision, aimed at curbing overcrowding, was communicated by the Supreme Court registry on July 30, 2025. However, interns will continue to have access to courtrooms on regular hearing days—Wednesdays and Thursdays—and can access the court premises and corridors on all working days.
The restriction was imposed after the SCBA wrote to the Secretary General of the Supreme Court on July 23, 2025, formally requesting measures to control the “significant congestion” in courtrooms and corridors. The letter, signed by SCBA President Dr. Vikas Singh (Sr. Advocate) and other office bearers, highlighted the practical difficulties faced by legal practitioners due to the high number of interns, particularly on busy miscellaneous days.
In its letter, the SCBA detailed the concerns raised by its members, especially Senior Advocates. The association pointed out that the presence of numerous interns was making court premises difficult to navigate.
The letter stated, “It has been observed that on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, there is significant congestion in the Courtrooms and Court Corridors. This is largely attributed to the high number of interns present on these days.”
The SCBA further noted that the overcrowding was impeding the work of lawyers, stating that “Senior Advocates and regular practitioners have found it increasingly difficult to move around from one Court to another.” A specific issue of conduct was also raised, with the letter mentioning, “Moreover, in many instances, interns are not vacating seats when requested by members of the Bar, thereby causing further inconvenience to practicing advocates.”
In light of these issues, the SCBA “humbly requested that access of Interns on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays be restricted at the earliest.”
Supreme Court Administration’s Directive
Responding to the SCBA’s request, the Supreme Court administration issued a formal communication through Mr. Subhash Negi, Assistant Registrar (AG), on July 30, 2025. The letter, addressed to the Hony. Secretary of the SCBA, confirmed that the request had been approved.
The directive stated, “I am directed to inform you that the Competent Authority has been pleased to accede to the request made by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), for restricting the access of Law interns inside the court rooms on Miscellaneous hearing days i.e. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.”
The communication clarified the scope of the restriction and the permissions that remain in place. It was directed that the implementation should be subject to the “condition that Law Interns have access to the court premises, corridors etc.” on all days.
Furthermore, the entry into courtrooms on specific days was explicitly permitted. The letter directs the SCBA to ensure implementation while allowing interns access “on Regular hearing days i.e. Wednesdays and Thursdays.” The SCBA has been tasked with ensuring the “smooth implementation” of this new arrangement.
