On May 14, 2025, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) addressed a letter to the newly appointed Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai, seeking the reinstatement of the traditional practice of circulating adjournment letters and the advance publication of hearing sequences in supplementary cause lists.
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The practice of circulating adjournment letters allowed advocates to inform the court in advance about their unavailability due to personal or professional reasons. SCAORA emphasized that discontinuing this practice has caused significant challenges for advocates, especially those facing genuine emergencies, as they are unable to notify the court beforehand. This has led to inefficiencies in court proceedings and increased burdens on litigants.
SCAORA stated:
"Restoring the circulation of adjournment letters would enable advocates to promptly inform the Court when they are unable to appear, ensuring that cases are rescheduled in a timely manner, and reducing the risk of adjournments that could disrupt the Court's schedule and also burden the litigants with financial hardships to engage Senior Advocates for their matters, which ultimately might get adjourned, on account of unavoidable circumstances."
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Additionally, SCAORA highlighted concerns regarding the current practice of informing counsels about the sequence of hearings through display boards between 10:15 and 10:30 AM on the day of the hearing. They proposed that publishing the sequence in the supplementary list or through a separate notice a day before would allow counsels to prepare more effectively and assist the court efficiently.
They noted:
"On account of the display of the sequence series in the morning of the listing, there is very little reaction time for all the stakeholders, and this practice is not only disrupting the effective management of court appearances but is also contributing to a strained utilization of the Hon'ble Courts' time."
SCAORA also extended their congratulations to Justice BR Gavai on assuming the office of Chief Justice of India.
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It is noteworthy that in December 2023, the Supreme Court had temporarily prohibited the seeking of adjournments through letter circulation. Subsequently, in February 2024, a new procedure was notified, limiting the circulation of adjournment letters to certain categories of cases and allowing such requests only once per case.
