Supreme Court under new CJI Sanjiv Khanna: New roster for case allocation, other new changes on petitions introduced

Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna has issued a fresh roster for the allocation of new cases, effective from November 11. The roster assigns cases to 16 benches, with the first three courts — led by the Chief Justice himself and the two senior-most judges — designated to hear letter petitions and public interest litigations (PILs).

The newly introduced roster, which was notified by the Supreme Court registry under the direction of Chief Justice Khanna, brings a significant change in the way fresh petitions will be handled, reported PTI. The CJI-led bench will deal with letter petitions from citizens as well as newly filed PILs. The two other senior-most judges, Justice B R Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, will preside over benches that will hear similar types of petitions. This move aims to streamline case allocation and ensure efficient handling of such petitions by senior judges.

As per PTI, the new CJI's bench will also handle a broad spectrum of important matters, including cases related to social justice, disputes concerning the election of the President and Vice President, election-related issues involving Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), habeas corpus matters, and arbitration cases. This comprehensive subject-wise allocation ensures that the most pressing issues are assigned to the highest courts, guaranteeing their timely and effective resolution.

Justice Surya Kant's bench will similarly handle election-related matters, ensuring that such cases receive focused attention from one of the most senior judges of the apex court.

The new case allocation system marks a departure from previous practices under the administration of former Chief Justice U U Lalit, who had allocated PILs to all benches. This practice was discontinued by his successor, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who had implemented a more diverse and flexible approach to case assignment. The new roster is seen as an attempt to consolidate judicial efficiency while maintaining transparency in case distribution.

The 16 senior judges, who are now tasked with overseeing these cases, will preside over a range of subject-specific benches, ensuring that each judge is assigned cases based on their expertise and experience. Among these, Justice JB Pardiwala, who had previously shared a bench with Chief Justice Chandrachud, will now be responsible for direct and indirect tax matters, in addition to handling ordinary civil cases. This marks a notable shift in the way judicial responsibilities are being managed.

Overall, the fresh case allocation roster under Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna is expected to bring greater efficiency to the Supreme Court, ensure fair distribution of cases, and address a wide range of significant legal issues in a timely manner.