India SC Sets Time Limits For Lawyers’ Arguments in Landmark Procedural Shift

In a first-of-its-kind move, the Supreme Court has introduced a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mandating strict timelines for oral arguments in all post-notice and regular hearing matters, in a bid to enhance judicial efficiency and case management.

Under the new procedure, Senior Advocates and arguing counsel must indicate in advance the time they propose to take for oral submissions. These timelines must be submitted at least one day before the hearing through the Court’s online appearance slip portal.

The measure, outlined in a circular dated December 29 and issued under the directions of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, is aimed at improving court management and ensuring an equitable distribution of working hours among different benches.

In addition to pre-declared timelines, the SOP makes it mandatory for all arguing counsel and Senior Advocates to file concise written submissions, capped at five pages, at least three days prior to the hearing. These notes must be filed through the Advocate-on-Record or a nodal counsel appointed by the Court, with a copy served on the opposing side.

The Court emphasised that all counsel must strictly adhere to the timelines fixed and conclude their oral arguments within the allotted time. The introduction of pre-fixed argument slots is expected to help benches plan proceedings more effectively and enable a greater number of cases to be heard each day.

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