The Supreme Court has issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) setting timelines for oral arguments in all post-notice and regular hearing matters, with the aim of making court proceedings more efficient.

The SOP was notified through a circular dated December 29, issued under the directions of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

It is intended to improve court management and ensure a more balanced use of working hours across benches.

Under the new system, Senior Advocates and arguing counsel will have to indicate in advance the time they expect to take for oral submissions.

This information must be provided through the Court’s online appearance slip portal at least one day before the hearing.

The circular notes that the measure is meant to support effective court management, equitable distribution of court time, and the speedy administration of justice.

The SOP also requires all arguing counsel and Senior Advocates to file short written submissions of up to five pages at least three days before the hearing. These submissions must be filed through the Advocate-on-Record or a nodal counsel, after serving a copy on the other side.

The Court has made it clear that counsel must adhere strictly to the timelines fixed and conclude their oral arguments within the allotted time. The move is expected to help benches plan hearings better and take up more cases on a daily basis.