GUWAHATI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna clarified that the Supreme Court will not be reinstating the old practice of seeking adjournments through the circulation of letters on Tuesday, November 26. Speaking at the occasion of Constitution Day, CJI Khanna outlined the inefficiencies of the previous system, where as many as 1,000 adjournment requests were being circulated daily.
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Under the current system, the number of adjournment letters has drastically decreased, with only about 150 requests being processed each month, compared to the 900 to 1,000 letters a day seen in the past. "Going back to the old system would be counterproductive," the CJI said. He noted that in December last year, the Supreme Court temporarily halted the practice of circulating adjournment letters, followed by the implementation of a new procedure in February, which restricted adjournments in certain cases.
The new protocol limits adjournment requests to a single circulation and only in specific types of cases. Despite requests from the bar for the reinstatement of the previous system, CJI Khanna clarified that this would not be approved, as the data indicated a significant reduction in adjournment applications—around 10,000 requests every three months under the old system compared to only 1,400 in the past 11 months.
CJI Khanna encouraged constructive suggestions for further improving the current system but emphasised that reverting to the old practice was not an option. "Let us therefore go with the right spirit," he urged, urging the legal community to reflect on both strengths and weaknesses.
CJI Khanna announced the acceptance of a long-standing request from the bar for the publication of physical cause lists. He also outlined plans to enhance infrastructure for lawyers, including new conference rooms, additional cabins for oath commissioners, and extra photocopy facilities. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi network has been upgraded, with new routers installed and expanded access provided to the ladies' bar room.
