Chief Justice of India, Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, has stressed the importance of efficiency in the Supreme Court, cautioning against the court becoming a “tareek pe tareek” (a date after date) court. The Chief Justice raised concerns over the increasing number of adjournment requests in cases meant for urgent hearings, emphasizing the need to maintain citizens’ trust in the judicial system.
During a recent address, Chief Justice Chandrachud revealed that lawyers had requested adjournments in 3,688 cases over the past two months, even though most of these cases were initially mentioned for urgent hearings. He expressed his concern, stating, “We don’t want it to become a ‘tareek pe tareek’ court. This defeats the trust of citizens in this court. With so many cases being asked to be adjourned, it does not send a good image of this court.”
The Chief Justice also highlighted the significant reduction in the time lag between filing a case and its listing before a bench, with all fresh cases being listed within a week of filing. However, he pointed out that there were 178 adjournment requests on a particular day, and on average, 154 adjournments were sought during miscellaneous days. In the last two months alone, there were 3,688 adjournments, which, according to the Chief Justice, defeat the purpose of filing and listing.
Furthermore, Chief Justice Chandrachud noted that lawyers had mentioned 2,361 cases for early hearing dates, but most of them subsequently requested adjournments when they appeared before the relevant benches. He emphasized that the number of matters adjourned was nearly three times the number of matters listed during this period, indicating a pressing issue in the court’s functioning.
In response to this situation, the Chief Justice urged members of the bar not to seek adjournments unless absolutely necessary, to prevent the Supreme Court from becoming a “tareek pe tareek” court. His call for greater efficiency and responsibility highlights the importance of upholding the trust of citizens in the Indian judicial system.
Sources By Agencies