The Supreme Court’s move to rechristen its traditional summer vacations as “partial court working days” comes months after the government forwarded recommendations of a parliamentary committee on staggered vacation for judges to the secretary general of the apex court and registrars general of 25 high courts for “appropriate consideration”. The change made by the Supreme Court assumes significance in the wake of the recent criticism from various quarters that the apex court enjoys long breaks.
The development was a part of an amendment in Supreme Court Rules, 2013, which have now become Supreme Court (Second Amendment) Rules, 2024, notified on November 5.
“The length of the partial court working days and the number of holidays for the court and the offices of the court shall be such as may be fixed by the Chief Justice and notified in the official gazette so as not to exceed ninety-five days excluding Sundays,” read the notification.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had informed the Lok Sabha earlier in August that the standing committee on law and personnel had referred to former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha’s suggestion that instead of all judges going on vacations, all at one time, individual judges should take their leave at different times of the year so that the courts are constantly open and they are always present to hear cases.
The committee was of the opinion that Justice Lodha’s suggestion on the court vacations should be considered by the judiciary.
“Accordingly, the recommendation of the Rajya Sabha DRPSC (department-related standing committee) in respect of the aforementioned subject was forwarded by the government to the Secretary General, Supreme Court and all Registrars General of the respective High Court for appropriate consideration,” Meghwal had told the House.
In its action taken report tabled in Parliament in February, the committee then chaired by late Sushil Modi had asked the government to press the Supreme Court and the 25 high courts to share their response at the earliest on its recommendation that judges can go for “staggered” vacation keeping in mind the huge pendency of cases.
The action taken report of the committee was based on its earlier report on “Judicial Processes and Their Reforms”.>
