New listing system not giving adequate time, more matters in afternoon session: Supreme Court

New Delhi: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court has criticised the new system of listing of cases in the apex court, saying that it is not giving adequate time and pointed out that there are a number of matters within the span of the 'afternoon' session.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S. Oka said as per the current listing system of cases, there are too many matters fixed for hearing in the afternoon session.

"The new listing system is not giving an adequate time to take up matters fixed for hearing like the present case as there are number of matters within the span of 'afternoon' session. List on November 15, 2022," the bench said in its order on Tuesday in a case titled Nagesh Chaudhary vs. UP and others.

Last week, a bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had said these days, nearly 60 cases are listed for hearing before each court on miscellaneous days, while expressing displeasure at lawyers who do not argue their matters and seek adjournments.

He said he had to wake up till late in the night to go through the case files and judges are working hard.

Currently, the apex court hears regular matters in the morning session and miscellaneous and after notice matters in the afternoon session. Earlier, the apex court used to hear miscellaneous matters first and the regular matters in the afternoon session.

On September 2, Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, while speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Bar Council of India in his honour, said that 1,293 miscellaneous matters, 106 regular matters, and 440 transfer matters were disposed of by the apex court in the last four days.