CJI Extends New Year Greetings, Advises Physical Letters For Urgent Listings

As the Supreme Court of India resumed operations on January 2, 2025, following its winter break from December 21, 2024, to January 1, 2025, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna extended warm New Year greetings to lawyers and litigants.

“I wish you all a happy new year. May you have a happy new year, your families…,” said the CJI, setting a cordial tone at the beginning of the day’s proceedings.

Addressing a technical issue, CJI Khanna noted that the email system for case mentions was temporarily non-functional. He advised lawyers to submit physical letters for urgent case listings, assuring them that these would be reviewed in the afternoon, with necessary orders issued for scheduling.

Since taking office as the Chief Justice, Justice Khanna has introduced procedural changes to streamline the process of urgent case listings. He discontinued the long-standing practice of oral submissions for urgent mentions before Supreme Court benches. Instead, he directed lawyers to send their requests via email or physical letters. This move aimed to enhance efficiency and ensure uniformity in the listing of cases.

Typically, lawyers seek out-of-turn hearings by mentioning cases before the CJI-led Bench at the start of proceedings, citing urgency. The new protocol, while requiring written submissions, continues to accommodate such urgent matters.

The reopening of the court marks the beginning of a fresh judicial calendar, with expectations for impactful rulings and reforms under the leadership of CJI Khanna.

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