Slot to argue in Supreme Court valuable, don't forego it: Justice Chandrachud

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Tuesday told lawyers not to seek adjournments and instead make every possible attempt that arguments in their respective matter are not stalled, as "getting a slot to argue in the top court is valuable".

During the hearing of a dispute in connection with a purchase of a flat in Punjab's Zirakpur on the outskirts of Mohali, a bench comprising Justices Chandrachud and M.R. Shah was informed by an advocate that the mother of the advocate-on-record, for the respondent, has expired, and he urged the bench to adjourn the matter for four weeks.

Justice Chandrachud, very politely, told the advocate that he understands the situation and also personal difficult of the counsel, whose mother had expired, but some other advocate involved in the matter should argue.

Justice Shah also said that matter has been pending since 2019 and some counsel should argue it.

Justice Chandrachud said: "We are short on judges, getting a slot to argue in Supreme Court is valuable.

"We read up matters and then come to court. We were here in the court till 5 p.m. yesterday and then read all the matters listed today before the bench."

Justice Chandrachud emphasised that somebody should argue the matter as he reiterated that the court completely understands the personal difficulty of the advocate. After this observation from the top court, the advocates involved in the matter continued with their arguments.

In the second instance, when then bench was about to rise after 4 p.m., after partly hearing a matter, senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing a party, said: "Please pass an interim order."

To this, Justice Shah replied: "Please appreciate, we have some time constraints. We have been sitting since 10.30 a.m. Yesterday also we sat till 5 p.m. It's not like we aren't doing anything."

With the retirement of Justice Ashok Bhushan, the sixth senior-most judge of the apex court, on July 4, the strength of apex court judges has come down to 26 as against the sanctioned strength of 34 including the Chief Justice.