Listing of instances my first precedence, holding shut watch on it: CJI

The CJI advised a lawyer who sought pressing itemizing of a matter: “I tell my registrar every morning, I am keeping a close watch on listing, my first priority. Anything which is registered by Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, make sure it’s listed next Monday and cases registered on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by next Friday.”

The CJI mentioned he’s additionally “keeping a close tab on how many matters are being verified by the Registry on the removal of defects”.

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association Monday, the CJI had flagged itemizing of instances as a “real problem” within the Supreme Court. He had mentioned that the court docket is making an attempt to dispose of the human interface with the assistance of expertise.

Pointing out that important efforts have been made throughout former CJI U U Lalit’s tenure to handle issues about itemizing, he mentioned the method must be institutionalised in order that it continues uninterrupted.

“Justice Lalit has taken very concrete steps towards making a more transparent system. I propose to continue that and build on the work which has been done by Justice Lalit. We need to make the listing of our court transparent, objective and perhaps my aim is to employ technology so as to remove the element of the human interface in the listing process because all discretion tends to become a discretion which is capable of not being employed properly,” he mentioned Monday.

He added: “The court has already started working on it and we are trying to prepare SOPs so that it should not depend on who is the Chief Justice. It’s important that we institutionalise these processes..It must be a part of an institutional mechanism.”