3 min readNov 29, 2025 07:32 PM IST
First published on: Nov 29, 2025 at 07:31 PM IST
The Supreme Court on Saturday introduced major changes including oral mentioning and urgent listing of matters and issued circulars, days after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant assured that he was planning to put in place changes.
According to the circulars— four circulars have been issued to this effect—the changes, which will come into effect from December 1, will streamline listing of cases for hearing, including automatic listing of fresh cases and hearing on cases involving individual liberty in two days.
CJI Surya Kant had earlier this week said the changes which will help do away with the mentioning, whereby parties seeking urgent hearing bring it to the attention of the bench soon after filing.
As per the new circulars, there will be “no necessity for litigants to mention their cases before the Court for listing as the fresh cases will be listed automatically”.
According to the circulars in this regard, “all fresh cases involving liberty of individuals and where urgent interim orders are sought for, where the case is verified, after curing of defects, will be listed within next two working days.” It mentions six categories for which “cases will be listed automatically”: Regular bail/anticipatory bail/cancellation of bail, death penalty, habeas corpus, eviction/dispossession, demolition, any other matter involving urgent interim relief.
To ensure expeditious disposal of all bail petitions, advance copy of the plea shall have to be served on the Nodal Officer/Standing Counsel concerned for the respondent–Union of India/State/Union Territory and “in case of an exceptionally urgent matter relating to anticipatory bail, death penalty, habeas corpus, eviction/dispossession and demolition, which cannot await listing on the scheduled date, the request can be made between 10 am to 10.30 am.”
All other categories of fresh cases will be listed automatically as per existing practice and there will be no necessity for the litigants to mention their case/s before the court for listing, the circulars said.
The top court has also decided to continue with the practice of not allowing senior counsels to make oral mentioning before any court, and said that young junior counsels may be encouraged to do so in case of emergencies.
After assuming office, CJI Kant had said his first priority will be to deal with pendency. Keeping with this, the top court, to ensure disposal of old regular hearing matters, has also decided against permitting letters seeking adjournment of such cases.
The Supreme Court has overhauled its listing system, enabling automatic, faster hearings for urgent liberty-related matters. ( Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) 
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