Lawyers’ body writes to CJI about hearing sequence in SC

New Delhi, Nov 30: The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association has written to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna requesting that supplementary cause list of the apex court should include the hearing sequence for all the courts for the next day.

The association said the present practice of issuing the order of sequence in the morning after 10.30 am was causing enormous challenges for all the advocates-on-record, lawyers, clerks and others.

“The elderly members of the bar and those who are not technically very adept are bearing the brunt and are frequently unable to attend hearings of their matters,” said the letter written by advocate Nikhil Jain, the honorary secretary of the association.

“On behalf of the entire association, I respectfully request that the supplementary cause list should include the hearing sequence for all the courtrooms for the next day, enabling better planning and preparation for our members,” it said.

The association said it was unfortunate that some courts were declining to give pass over in matters in the first round which was a matter of concern and causing difficulty to the lawyers.

“Therefore, knowing the order in which matters will be taken a day in advance would greatly assist advocates in planning their day and managing their time effectively,” it said.

The association said timely publication of cause list and clarity on the order of matters would ensure that advocates can prepare with due diligence and the court’s time is utilised to the fullest.

It requested the CJI that at least one pass over should be granted by the courts and such request should not be declined.