CJI Surya Kant Announces December 22 Vacation Bench for Urgent Matters
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday announced that the Supreme Court will hold a special vacation sitting on December 22 to hear urgent matters, even as the Court closes for its winter break.
The CJI said that the number of benches sitting on that day will depend on how many genuinely urgent cases are listed. Regular court proceedings will resume on January 5, 2025.
The statement was made after several lawyers sought urgent listings on Friday, which was the last working day before the winter vacation. The CJI made it clear that no fresh matters would be listed on that day.
Explaining the reason, the CJI pointed out that there had been heavy filing throughout the week and judges were already overburdened with reading case files late into the night. He questioned how judges could fairly hear matters without adequate time to study the briefs.
The CJI clarified that matters would be listed on December 22 only if lawyers were ready to argue on that day itself. He also stated that the Registry would examine whether a case involved real urgency, such as issues related to bail, child custody, or protection from arrest.
If genuine urgency is found, the Court will list the matter during the vacation sitting. The CJI added that the decision on whether one or more benches would sit will be taken after assessing the number of urgent cases.
