CJI Misra puts end to ‘oral mentioning’ practice in SC

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Wednesday put an end to the practice of ‘oral mentioning’ by senior advocates and said that henceforth only advocates on record (AOR) would be permitted to make oral mention.

Oral mentioning is a practice being followed every day in the court of the Chief Justice at 10.30am when lawyers plead for urgent listing of fresh petitions, appeals and applications. Invariably, the mentioning goes on for 15 to 20 minutes. The CJI, who is the administrative head, will take a call whether to the matters deserved urgent listing or not. This practice was given up for a brief period during the tenure of former CJI S.H. Kapadia who abolished it. But his successor Justice Altamas Kabir restored it.

On Wednesday, the CJI said senior lawyers would not be allowed to make a mention and only AOR could mention the matters.

This was done to ensure that the bulk of the time was not taken over by seniors without giving a reasonable opportunity to juniors to make their submissions.