The Supreme Court of India has resolved the long-standing demand for a uniform sequence of listing and hearing matters across all courtrooms. Following a Full Court Resolution, the Supreme Court Registry issued a circular dated October 9, 2026, directing all Benches to follow a uniform sequence while taking up cases.

The issue had been a matter of concern for advocates, with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) demanding uniformity in the sequence of cases listed before different Benches. Until now, the sequence in which matters were taken up varied across courtrooms, creating difficulties for advocates appearing in multiple courts.

Under the new circular, the Main List and Supplementary List will be divided into two categories: Part A – Fresh Matters and Part B – After Notice Matters.

Under Part A, the Courts will take up fresh matters from the Main List first, followed by fresh matters from the Supplementary List. Passed-over fresh matters from both lists will be taken up next, followed by a second pass-over of fresh matters, if the Bench considers it appropriate.

Under Part B, the Courts will first take up after-notice matters from the Main List, followed by those from the Supplementary List, and thereafter passed-over after-notice matters.

The circular further clarifies that the Bench will retain the discretion to take up part-heard matters or any other matter out of turn, as it considers appropriate.

The decision is expected to bring greater consistency and predictability to the daily functioning of the Supreme Court, helping advocates plan their appearances and reducing uncertainty arising from different listing sequences across courtrooms.

The circular modifies the earlier circular dated February 12, 2026, and has been issued pursuant to the Full Court Resolution.