The Supreme Court of India has notified a set of procedural reforms to streamline oral mentioning, urgent listing of matters, and adjournment requests with effect from 1 December 2025. The reforms are contained in four circulars issued under the directions of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

Circular Regarding Fresh Filing and Automatic Listing (Liberty / Urgent Matters)

• Fresh cases involving personal liberty and urgent interim relief will be automatically listed within 2 working days after defects are cured and verification is complete.

• Categories covered include regular bail and anticipatory bail, cancellation of bail, death penalty cases, habeas corpus petitions, eviction / dispossession matters, demolition cases, and other matters where urgent interim orders are required.

• For other verified fresh matters, those verified on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday will be listed the following Monday, and those verified on Friday, Saturday, or Monday will be listed the following Friday.

• Oral mentioning is notrequired for these liberty / urgent categories if defects are cleared and verification is done in time.

Circular Regarding Mentioning and “Exceptionally Urgent” Matters

• General rule: No routine oral mentioning before CJI; oral mentioning can only happen where permitted by circular.

• Senior counsel are not allowed to mention any matter before any Bench; only AORs / junior counsel may mention, and only in permitted categories.

• Cases where urgent interim orders are sought, must go through the Mentioning Officer using:

• Prescribed Mentioning Proforma; and

• A separate letter clearly explaining the urgency.

• Time limits for submitting Proforma and urgency letter:

• On working days: by 3:00 p.m. of the precedingworking day.

• On Saturdays (if applicable): by 11:30 a.m.

• For very urgent liberty matters(anticipatory bail, death penalty, habeas corpus, urgent eviction / demolition) that cannot wait till scheduled date:

• Documents must be given to the Mentioning Officer before 10:30 a.m. on the day;

• Letter must specifically justify why case cannot await normal listing.

• Mentioning Officer compiles all requests and places them before the Registrar (Judicial–Listing) for orders of the CJI.

• Regular matters (final hearing / non-urgent) cannot be mentioned for listing at all; only urgent-relief / early-hearing applications may be filed.

Circular Regarding Adjournment Letters

• Adjournment letters are allowed only for fresh matters and after-notice (not yet finally heard) matters.

• Adjournment letter must reach Registry by 11:00 a.m. of the previous working day.

• Consent or at least prior intimation to the opposite side / their counsel is mandatory. Letters must clearly state whether consent has been obtained or refused.

• Acceptable grounds include:

• Bereavement in the family of a party or counsel;

• Serious medical emergencies;

• Other “genuine” reasons the Court considers sufficient.

• Letters must be in prescribed format and emailed to letter@sci.nic.in(no hard-copy requests).

• No adjournment letters permitted for regular hearing matters; such requests must be made before the Bench in court, if at all.

Circular Regarding Bail and Service Requirements

• Applies to all bail and anticipatory bail petitions filed in the Supreme Court.

• Petitioner must serve advance copy of the petition and accompanying documents on:

• The designated Nodal Officer / Standing Counsel for the Union of India, or

• The concerned State / Union Territory, as applicable.

• Proof of service (email / acknowledgment etc.) must accompany the filing so the Registry can verify before listing.

• Objective is to ensure the respondent appears prepared on the first listing, enabling quicker disposal of bail matters and reducing adjournments.