No differences among judges over new way of listing of cases: CJI

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Uday Umesh Lalit on Thursday said that there is no difference of opinion among judges over the new system of listing of cases in the top court and said that report indicating a rift among judges was not correct.

The comment of the CJI came while he was addressing a speech at a felicitation ceremony organized in his honour by the Supreme Court Bar Association.

CJI Lalit said, “It is true that with the new listing system, there were teething issues at the start….Lot of things have been said about everything, including listing. Whatever has been reported is not the correct state of affairs. All judges are on the same page.”

He said that a new way of listing cases is naturally bound to have some problems.

The comment came after a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka in two separate orders passed on Monday criticized the new listing system introduced by CJI Lalit. Recording their view in a judicial order, the bench said, “The new listing system is not giving adequate time to take up matters fixed for hearing like the present case as there are number of matters within the span of Afternoon session.”

The new system was introduced by the new CJI on August 29 soon after taking oath. This required all judges in the Supreme Court to hear old matters on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and to take up fresh matters, known as miscellaneous cases, in the afternoon session between 2 pm to 4 pm. This was a change from the earlier system when new matters were heard on these three days with old matters hardly being heard. The idea was to reduce pendency.

Presenting the figures of cases disposed under the new listing system, CJI said that in the period from August 29 till September 14, the Supreme Court disposed 5,200 cases. The number of fresh cases filed during the same period was 1,135.

“This has been possible because of the efforts put in by my brother and sister judges and the members of the bar,” CJI Lalit said, adding that last minute listing of cases created “enormous” workload on judges but they discharged their duties with a smile.

Attorney General KK Venugopal who was present at the function described CJI Lalit as a person with “unquestionable integrity” and a calm composure. He said that whatever be the provocation, CJI Lalit does not raise his voice and any lawyer leaving his courtroom has the satisfaction of being heard.

CJI Lalit said that the person from whom he has learnt to remain calm is KK Venugopal as he recalled the way the seasoned veteran lawyer argued and placed matters calmly putting even the Court in comfort.

The SCBA President urged the CJI to attend to their demands for improving infrastructural requirements for lawyers and hoped that since CJI Lalit was elevated from the bar, he would make all possible attempts to fulfil the needs of the Bar.

The CJI assured the SCBA that he would appoint committees to take decisions with regard to demands made by the bar association.