Only CJI Bench to Hear Urgent Mentions, Rules Supreme Court

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: In a major procedural shift, the Supreme Court has directed that all exceptionally urgent matters must be mentioned exclusively before the bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), even when the CJI is engaged in constitution bench proceedings.

Traditionally, lawyers could approach the seniormost available judge for urgent listings if the CJI was unavailable or occupied with constitutional matters. However, the apex court has now streamlined the process to ensure uniformity and avoid parallel mentions across different benches.

As per a circular issued on April 6, cases that are too urgent to await the regular listing mechanism outlined in the November 29, 2025 circular will only be taken up for mentioning before Court No. 1, which is presided over by the CJI.

The directive clearly states that no other bench will entertain such urgent mentions, reinforcing the exclusive authority of the Chief Justice’s court in handling time-sensitive pleas.

The move is seen as an effort to bring consistency, discipline, and better case management within the court’s functioning, especially in matters requiring immediate judicial intervention.