Aiming to use technology to reduce role of registry, CJI in listing cases before Supreme Court: CJI DY Chandrachud

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said on Monday that he aims to employ technology in listing of cases, thereby, reducing the role of the role of registry and the CJI as the master of roster, when it comes to listing..While speaking at his felicitation by the Supreme Court Bar Association, the CJI said that he aims to use technology to bring about an institutional change in the listing process to reduce human interface so that the listing happens uniformly irrespective of who the CJI is."I aim to use technology in the listing process so as to reduce human interface as far as possible. All discretion becomes a discretion which is capable of not being employed properly. Lawyers pointed out to me that the process for removal of defects.. we are working on it and we are trying to prepare the SOP. It should not be dependent on who is the Chief Justice. It is also important to institutionalise this process so that it does not die down when after two years I am here bidding farewell to all of you," CJI Chandrachud said..The role of CJI as the master of roster had come under in the scanner in the recent years with allegations being raised against various CJIs that they were allocating certain cases to specific benches to ensure the desired outcome. Four senior judges (now retired) of the Supreme Court had even held a press conference highlighting this in 2018 when Justice Dipak Misra was the CJI. CJI Chandrachud had, last week, said in open court that he has issued directions to the registry to streamline listing of registered cases in Supreme Court. Towards this end, he has asked registry to provide automatic dates of listing depending on the day on which a petition is filed."All matters registered on Saturdays, Monday, Tuesday will be listed on next Monday and matters registered on Thursday and Friday will be listed next Friday," said CJI Chandrachud during mentioning of cases.Automatic dates will be given, he added..Ex-CJI UU Lalit had introduced some sweeping changes to listing of cases.One of the first changes introduced by CJI Lalit after he took over the office was regarding the hearing of cases on non-miscellaneous days.On non-miscellaneous days, the Supreme Court currently hears regular matters in the morning session (10.30 am to 1 pm) and miscellaneous and after notice matters in the afternoon session (2 pm to 4 pm).The norm earlier was to take up miscellaneous matters first and then proceed to the regular-hearing.He had also ensured that fresh petitions are listed at the earliest, a trend which the current CJI would be expected to continue..In his speech on Monday, CJI Chandrachud also said that despite being told to devote more time to administrative work, judicial time was more important to him."CJI is first among equals. First he is a judge and he has to fulfill the first purpose of a judge. I have been told to devote more time to administrative work but the devotion to judicial time is more important to me," he said..Read more about the CJI's speech here..[Read our live-coverage of the even here]