Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday warned that, beginning January 2026, the Supreme Court will no longer permit what he called “endless hearings,” and said that all counsels must give written commitments to argue within the time limits fixed by the Court. The remarks were made while a bench headed by the CJI was hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“From January 2026, we will not allow endless hearings,” the bench said, making clear that the court intends to strictly enforce time-limits and curb repeated adjournments and prolonged oral arguments. The CJI asked that advocates put their oral submissions in writing and furnish a written commitment that they will stick to the time fixed for their arguments.
The remarks came amid the court’s scrutiny of multiple legal challenges to the pan-India SIR exercise an intensive, time-bound drive by the Election Commission to update and verify electoral rolls in several States. Petitioners have raised concerns about deadlines, the exclusion of certain voters from draft rolls and reports of pressure on booth-level officers (BLOs). The bench observed that the litigation around SIR had become repetitive in many respects and voiced frustration at “stock” or “mechanical” replies from the poll body during repeated hearings.
The Court also signalled readiness to intervene where the SIR process appeared to threaten public order or the safety of election staff. During hearings, the bench said it would be prepared to pass appropriate orders if instances of hindrance to BLOs’ work including threats or violence reported from some States were brought to its notice. The judges asked the Election Commission to inform the Court of any such incidents.
The new insistence on written time commitments fits into a broader stream of procedural changes introduced by the CJI’s registry since he assumed office. Earlier reforms under his leadership have included curbs on oral mentioning for urgent listing and automatic listing mechanisms for certain urgent matters steps intended to make case management more efficient and reduce avoidable courtroom delays. Observers say the time-limit push appears aimed at improving court productivity and ensuring that high-priority matters are not bogged down by lengthier, repeated hearings.
What this means for litigants Legal practitioners said the requirement for written commitments will force better case planning and could speed up hearings, but some warned it may disadvantage parties who rely heavily on oral advocacy or whose cases require complex factual explanations. Senior advocates familiar with Supreme Court practice noted that the Court already has powers to impose time limits, but consistent enforcement may change how counsel approach oral submissions and the preparation of written briefs.
Next steps The Supreme Court has listed further hearings on SIR-related petitions, including requests for extensions of deadlines in some States. The Court has indicated it may consider limited extensions where adequate reasons are shown, but underlined that extensions will not be automatic and that the ECI must explain its procedures and safeguards. Parties appearing before the Court from January will have to ensure their written time commitments and submissions are ready in advance.
