Supreme Court cannot become 'tareekh pe tareekh court': CJI DY Chandrachud on over 3,000 adjournment requests

The Supreme Court cannot be reduced to a "tareekh pe tareekh" court, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said on Friday while expressing concerns over the increasing number of adjournment requests made by lawyers in the court. He said adjournment of cases might make citizens lose trust in the Supreme Court.

According to Bar and Bench, the CJI said as many as 3,688 adjournments were sought by lawyers from September to October. He said the adjournments defeats the "very purpose of expediting cases".

"Matters are mentioned for being expedited but on the other hand adjournment is sought. This cannot become a tareek pe tareek court. This defeats the trust of the citizens and thus this is our moral responsibility. This does not show a good image of our court to the country," CJI Chandrachud was quoted as saying.

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He further mentioned that for November 3, the Supreme Court had 178 adjournment slips. “For each miscellaneous days since October, 150 adjournment slips were there on each day,” he said. 

"From September to October, 3,688 adjournment slips were circulated," he said, while adding, "This defeats the very purpose of expediting the case," he said.

The CJI said that on one hand, matters are mentioned by lawyers everyday for urgent listing but on the other, they seek adjournment when cases are listed. “From September to November 1, fifty-eight matters are mentioned everyday,” he said.

CJI Chandrachud, however, noted that the period from filing of a case to listing of hearing is reducing. "We could not have achieved this without SCBA (Supreme Court Bar Association) and SCAORA (Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association)," the CJI said.

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