Supreme Court vacation benches including of CJI Surya Kant sits during winter break for first time

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has held vacation courts for the first time with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant himself sitting twice during the winter break to hear urgent matters involving life and liberty as well as those requiring immediate judicial intervention.

The top court holds vacation benches during longer summer break, which has now been rechristened as partial court working days, but this year was the first instance when the apex court held vacation benches even in a shorter winter break.

The Supreme Court was closed for Christmas and New Year holidays from December 22 to January 2, 2026. It will reopen on January 5.

Justice Surya Kant, who was sworn in as Chief Justice of India on November 24, had made it clear on December 19 that vacation benches including him will be sitting during the winter break to hear urgent matters.

On December 22, the first day of the winter break, a vacation bench comprising the CJI and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sat to hear 17 urgent matters including several criminal and civil cases.

A statement issued by the top court said that special sittings had been arranged to ensure timely consideration of pressing cases that required immediate judicial intervention during the vacation period.

Similarly, on December 29, a three-judge vacation bench headed by CJI Kant sat to hear a suo motu case on new definition of Aravallis amid public outcry and kept in abeyance its November 20 directions that accepted a uniform definition of these hills and ranges.

It said there is a need to resolve "critical ambiguities" including whether the 100-metre elevation and the 500-metre gap between hills criteria will strip a significant portion of the range of environmental protection.

The vacation bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and said he shall not be released from custody.

While hearing the CBI's plea challenging the high court order, the vacation bench sought Sengar's response saying that substantial questions of law have arisen in the matter that require consideration.

On the last day of the year, a vacation bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Prashant Kumar Mishra conducted online hearings of two cases including one on a habeas corpus petition alleging illegal arrest by the Uttar Pradesh Police and the other related to a civil case regarding a property dispute.

On December 29, the top court also came out with a standard operating procedure (SOP) prescribing timelines for advancing arguments in all cases and written notes by lawyers appearing before it.

The step aims to improve court management and expedite the delivery of justice.

The SOP, which comes into force with immediate effect, says, "Senior advocates, arguing counsel and/or advocate-on-record, shall submit the timelines for making oral arguments in all post-notice and regular hearing matters, at least a day prior to the commencement of the hearing of the case. The same shall be submitted to the Hon'ble Court through the online portal for submitting appearance slips already provided to the advocate-on-record (AoR)." It said that the arguing counsel, including senior advocates, through their AoR or nodal counsel, nominated by the bench, if any, shall file a brief note or written submission not exceeding five pages after serving a copy on the other side at least three days before the date of hearing.

"All counsel shall strictly adhere to the timelines fixed and conclude their oral arguments," the circular, signed by four apex court registrars, said.

CJI Kant had earlier indicated that the top court would be coming out with some parameters in the new year to rationalise judicial time.