No Need For Oral Mentioning; Urgent Matters Will Be Automatically Listed In 2 Days : CJI Surya Kant Brings Reforms In Supreme Court

Days after Justice Surya Kant became the Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court introduced major changes, restructuring the system of oral mentioning, urgent listing and adjournment of cases with effect from December 1, 2025. The changes aim to streamline filings, reduce unnecessary mentioning before benches, and ensure faster listing of matters involving personal liberty and urgent interim relief. Four circulars have been issued to this effect.

The circulars on listing and mentioning specify that litigants need not make oral mentioning before the CJI for the listing of matters. Matters requiring urgent relief (specified below) will be listed automatically within two working days.

No Oral Mentioning Before CJI; Senior Counsel Not Allowed To Mention

The Court has barred oral mentioning of matters before the Chief Justice of India except where specifically permitted. Senior Counsel will no longer be allowed to mention cases before any bench. Instead, young junior counsel are encouraged to make oral mentionings.

Automatic Listing For Urgent Liberty Matters

The newly issued circular assures automatic listing, within two working days, of all fresh cases involving liberty of individuals and urgent interim relief. These include:

• Regular bail and anticipatory bail

• Cancellation of bail

• Death penalty cases

• Habeas corpus petitions

• Eviction or dispossession matters

• Demolition cases

• Any matter requiring urgent interim orders

Such cases will be listed after defects are cured and verification is completed. Litigants will no longer need to seek oral mentioning for these categories.

Other fresh cases verified on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be listed the following Monday; those verified on Friday, Saturday and Monday will be listed the following Friday.

Exceptionally Urgent Matters Must Be Processed Through Mentioning Officer

For cases requiring advancement of listing due to urgent interim orders, parties must submit the prescribed Mentioning Proforma and a letter explaining the urgency to the Mentioning Officer by 3 pm on the previous working day (or 11:30 am on Saturdays). Exceptions are limited to matters such as anticipatory bail, death penalty, habeas corpus and urgent eviction or demolition issues.

The Mentioning Officer will prepare lists and place them before the Registrar (Judicial Listing) for orders of the Chief Justice of India.

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 Mentioning Proforma together with the Letter of urgency, must be handed over to the Mentioning Officer prior to 10:30 a.m.

The Mentioning Officer shall place the Mentioning Proforma together with the Letter stating the urgency before the Registrar (Judicial Listing) for seeking orders of the Chief Justice of India. The Letter shall specifically indicate as to why the matter cannot await listing on scheduled date, as provided in the Circular annexed herewith.

Regular Matters Cannot Be Mentioned For Listing

The Court has reiterated that regular hearing matters cannot be mentioned at all. Only applications seeking urgent relief or early hearing may be filed and processed through the Mentioning Officer.

Strict Rules For Adjournment Requests

Another circular revises the procedure for adjournment applications:

• Letters seeking adjournment for fresh and after-notice matters may be circulated until 11 am on the previous working day.

• Adjournment will be considered only after obtaining consent of counsel on the other side.

• Bereavement in the family or medical emergencies of advocates or parties are the only grounds for adjournment, apart from other genuine reasons accepted by the Court.

• All requests must follow the prescribed format and be emailed to adjournment.letter@sci.nic.in.

• No adjournment letters will be allowed for regular matters.

Bail matters

In order to ensure expeditious disposal of all bail petitions, advance copy shall have to be served on the concerned Nodal Officer / Standing Counsel for the Respondent - Union of India / State / Union Territory. A separate circular is issued.

Circular on circulation of adjournment letters