New Delhi, 19 December (H.S.): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant announced on Friday his readiness to convene one or two benches on December 22, the outset of the Supreme Court's Christmas and New Year recess, exclusively for pressing urgent matters, underscoring judicial commitment amid festive downtime.

A bench presided over by CJI Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, deliberated the scheduling of such cases during proceedings on listing protocols. The CJI emphasized that the apex court registry would rigorously assess the genuineness of urgencies before allocating hearings, thereby streamlining the docket.

CJI Kant clarified that these special sittings would spare fellow judges the burden of late-night preparations for unfamiliar files, stating, We will sit on Monday. We are not going to burden other Supreme Court judges... I will not bother any other bench. This approach ensures focused adjudication without overtaxing the collegium.

The registry's verification mechanism aims to prevent frivolous inclusions, maintaining the sanctity of holiday exceptions typically reserved for matters of life, liberty, or national import. Such proactive measures reflect the judiciary's evolving responsiveness to mounting caseloads while honoring seasonal observances.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar