10 bail and transfer pleas each will be heard everyday by all SC Benches before normal work: CJI

‘Every one of the 13 Benches of the top court will finish off their pendency before Christmas holidays,’ says CJI Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday, November 18, 2022, pressed the accelerator on hearing and disposing off pending pleas for bail and transfer petitions in the Supreme Court.

The Chief Justice said that every one of the 13 Benches of the court currently functioning in the top court would hear 10 cases each of bail and transfer petitions first thing every morning and finish off their pendency before Christmas holidays start in December.

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Transfer petitions mostly relate to matrimonial and family cases. Litigants usually seek inter-State transfer of their cases. For example, a separated wife or husband may seek transfer of their divorce case to a court nearer to the place of their residence or the city where they work for convenience. These cases do not pose complicated legal issues but tend to pile up in the apex court. The uncertainty causes distress to litigants.

"There are around 3,000 transfer petitions pending here. Every one of the 13 Benches will take up 10 transfer petitions everyday. They will deal with 650 petitions every week. In five weeks, all the transfer petitions will be over," Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed the lawyers in the courtroom.

The CJI said the decision was taken in a Full Court meeting of all the Supreme Court judges.

The CJI said 10 bail cases would also be similarly taken up every day by all the 13 Benches.