Supreme Court Bans Oral Mentioning for Urgent Hearings Under New CJI Sanjiv Khanna

In a notable procedural change, the Supreme Court of India, under Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has stopped the practice of oral mentioning for urgent hearings. From now on, advocates seeking immediate court listings must submit their requests in writing.

Email and Written Slips Become Standard for Urgent Requests

On Tuesday, CJI Khanna outlined the new protocol in open court, emphasizing that urgent listings will no longer be accepted through oral requests. Instead, lawyers must use email or provide written slips explaining the reasons for urgency.

“From now on, no oral or written mentions will be allowed in person. Only email or written slips are acceptable, with clear statements on the urgency,” CJI Khanna announced.

A Departure from Prior Practices

This policy change moves away from the practice under former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, where lawyers could orally mention cases for urgent hearings. Previously, this approach enabled swift interventions in time-sensitive matters, such as stays on demolitions or preventing imminent arrests.