After several judges slammed the Supreme Court registry in the recent past for not listing matters appropriately, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said on Monday he is looking at the possibility of employing technology to reduce human interface as far as possible.
Technology would not just reduce the role of the role of the registry but also the CJI’s role as the “master of roster“, which provides them with the ability to constitute benches to hear matters.
CJI Chandrachud was addressing his felicitation organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). According to Bar and Bench, he said that he “aims to use technology to bring about an institutional change in the listing process to reduce human interface so that the listing happens uniformly irrespective of who the CJI is”. He added: “I aim to use technology in the listing process so as to reduce human interface as far as possible. All discretion becomes a discretion which is capable of not being employed properly. Lawyers pointed out to me that the process for removal of defects.. we are working on it and we are trying to prepare the SOP. It should not be dependent on who is the Chief Justice. It is also important to institutionalise this process so that it does not die down when after two years I am here bidding farewell to all of you.”
In the past fortnight, two judges had sought an explanation from the Supreme Court registry for not listing a matter that was ready for an extended period. Former CJI U.U. Lalit issued notice to the registry and also asked the registry to indicate whether any similar matters which were marked as ‘Ready’ were not listed before the court.
Another top court judge, Justice Ajay Rastogi, also took strong exception to the registry not listing the matter despite the bench – of which he was part – issuing a specific order to that effect.
He said, “This time I am telling you very clearly. Next time this is brought to my notice that despite an order of the court, a matter has not been listed, I will take strict action. I will not permit any Registrar to have this discretion.”
CJI Chandrachud has already proposed ways to streamline the listing of cases in the Supreme Court, saying last week that he had issued directions to the registry to this effect.
The registry was asked to provide automatic dates for the listing, depending on the days on which a petition is filed. “All matters registered on Saturdays, Mondays, Tuesdays will be listed on next Monday and matters registered on Thursday and Friday will be listed next Friday,” he said, according to Bar and Bench.
