Chief Justice Khanna ends oral requests for urgent case hearings

The Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna announced on Tuesday that oral requests for urgent listing and hearings of cases will no longer be permitted Instead lawyers seeking outofturn listings on urgent grounds must now submit their requests either via email or in written form detailing the reasons for urgencyPreviously lawyers would present their cases before the Chief Justiceled bench at the beginning of the dayrsquos proceedings to seek priority hearing However CJI Khanna has now mandated a formal process for urgent requests ldquoNo written or oral mentions anymorerdquo the CJI stated ldquoOnly in email or written slipletters Just state the reasons for urgencyrdquo he added according to PTIIn outlining these changes Chief Justice Khanna also expressed his commitment to a citizencentric approach to judicial reforms He stressed that one of the judiciarys foremost responsibilities is to ensure fair access to justice for all citizens irrespective of their social status financial standing or powerJustice Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday at Rashtrapati Bhavan In his inaugural statement he acknowledged the great honour of leading the judiciary which he described as the ldquothird pillar of democracyrdquo According to PTI he noted the judiciaryrsquos essential role as a guardian of the Constitution and protector of citizens fundamental rightsChief Justice Khanna stated ldquoJudiciary is an integral yet distinct and independent part of the governance system The Constitution entrusts upon us the role of constitutional guardian protector of fundamental rights and the responsibility to fulfil the important task of being a service provider of justicerdquo He emphasised that justice must be accessible fair and without bias providing equal opportunities for all to pursue justice regardless of wealth or statusFurthermore the Chief Justice identified several key areas of reform necessary to modernise and enhance the efficiency of Indiarsquos justice delivery system Among the challenges he highlighted were the pressing need to reduce case backlogs make litigation more affordable and simplify complex legal procedures according to PTI He acknowledged that while the judiciary should be robust and independent it must also be userfriendly catering to the needs of all citizensCJI Khanna also emphasised the importance of making the judiciary more approachable and outlined his intent to implement a selfevaluative approach in the Supreme Courtrsquos operations This approach would involve a system that remains receptive to feedback from both citizens and legal professionals promoting greater responsiveness and efficiency within the judicial systemAdditionally the Chief Justice pledged to enhance clarity in judgments ensuring that legal decisions are comprehensible to the general public To further ease the judicial process he highlighted the role of mediation in resolving disputes outside the courtroom This approach he believes can offer citizens quicker and more efficient resolution helping to alleviate the load on the judicial systemCriminal case management another priority outlined by the Chief Justice aims at reducing the duration of trials by adopting systematic and streamlined approaches He pledged to simplify legal procedures so that they are less burdensome for citizens His goal he stated is to provide an efficient justice delivery framework that aligns with the needs and expectations of the publicAccording to PTI CJI Khannarsquos vision for the judiciary is focused on balancing judicial efficiency with accessibility and fairness ensuring that every citizen has equitable access to justice He further emphasised that the judiciaryrsquos role is not only as a dispute resolver but also as a steadfast protector of citizensrsquo rightsWith these reforms in mind Chief Justice Khanna signalled his dedication to building a justice system that is both resilient and responsive ensuring timely and fair resolutions for allWith inputs from PTI