Supreme Court Halts Live Streaming of Urgent Hearing Requests; New Mentioning Rules Effective November 2

The Supreme Court of India has discontinued the live streaming of the 'mentioning' process, where lawyers request urgent hearings for their cases. This decision follows remarks from the Chief Justice of India (CJI), who expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding the frequency of requests made without substantial grounds.

Changes in Protocol

Starting November 2, the court has implemented new procedural changes aimed at streamlining the mention list:

• Restriction on Senior Advocates: Senior lawyers will no longer be permitted to make oral requests for urgent hearings.
• Encouraging Junior Advocates: The court is shifting its focus to encourage junior advocates to handle these requests, aiming to provide them with more professional exposure.
• Discouraging Unfounded Requests: The CJI emphasized that the practice of seeking urgent listings without valid justification must be curtailed.

Implications

The move is intended to maintain judicial decorum and ensure that the 'mentioning' window is reserved strictly for matters of genuine urgency. Litigants and legal practitioners are advised to verify the latest notifications on the official Supreme Court website to ensure compliance with these updated protocols when filing for urgent hearing requests after November 2.