Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant announced on Friday that the Supreme Court will release regular reports on the progress made on administrative side during his tenure.
CJI Kant also revealed that proposals were in the pipeline to streamline the top court’s cause list and minimise unpredictability in case listings. He made the announcements at a felicitation ceremony hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to mark his swearing-in.
The initiatives planned by the Supreme Court will be launched next week on a pilot basis, the CJI said.
“I shared certain ideas [with the SCBA] about how I am starting to streamline the listing of matters, the cause list, and not only listing of matters in terms of the day, but that unpredictability, that element of uncertainty, that how it can be effectively addressed so that your valuable time in making mentioning or the Court time is also not wasted. That first issue as a pilot project or an initiative, we are commencing from Monday. There might be initial hiccups but with your ideas and support, we will resolve all the issues,” said CJI Kant.
"As far as the issues of the Bar, the requirements of the Bar, the facilities which the Bar Associations require, all these priorities I will keep in different phases and one after other, we will come out with solutions. I must give you also my reports, if not monthly, at least twice or after three months, tri-monthly reports I will give to you that this much has been done and this much is left," he added.
He also said that the construction of a new building for the Supreme Court has already begun to address the needs of space.
“We have already started an ambitious project of construction of the entire new building of Supreme Court. Phase 1 is already going on. Within short span, we will be able to have enough space to address the issues that have been pending for couple of years,” CJI Kant said.
On his relationship with the Bar, CJI Kant recalled an instance from his time at the Punjab and Haryana High Court when a lawyer and a security officer got into a heated argument.
"The issue really got flared up. I was at number 10 or 11 in the seniority, but only because of the reason that I used to have a very consistent, very cordial, personal level relationship with the Bar members that in the odd hours I got a call that I must intervene and try to get it resolved. Within next day, I think before even the court work could resume, I was able to persuade both sides and the matter was amicably settled," he said.
CJI Kant added that he considered the Bar as his own family and would treat difficulties faced by any lawyer as his own responsibility.
"I always treat the Bar as part of my family. If you have any difficulty, it is my difficulty. Even if an individual member is facing any difficult it is my difficulty virtually as head of the family to look after you,” the CJI said.
CJI Kant concluded his address by acknowledging the support of his fellow judges and the contributions made by earlier CJIs in the growth and strength of the Supreme Court.
"I am thankful to all the Chief Justices of India in the past who with their best of ability, commitment to the cause, with their experience, with their ability, with their jurisprudence principles... and whatever leadership they have provided in past, that is the benchmark for us to move ahead," the CJI said.
Attorney General R Venkataramani and SCBA President Vikas Singh also spoke at the event.