SC Justice Uday Umesh Lalit Says Courts Should Ideally Sit at 9 Am

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit: If children can go to school at 7 in the morning, why can’t judges and lawyers start their day at 9 in the morning?”

A bench of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia commenced work at 9.30 am on Friday, an hour before the normal working hours of the apex court.

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, who is at the fore in line to become the Chief Justice of India, said, “In my view, ideally we should sit at 9 am. I have always said that if our children can go to school at 7 am, So why can’t we come at 9 o’clock.”

The remarks came after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing in a bail case, lauded the bench for sitting before the normal time at the end of the hearing. “I must say that this time of 9.30 am is more appropriate time to start the courts,” he said.

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said that if the courts can start early, they can finish the day’s work early and in the evening the judges will get more time to read the case files the next day.  

“The courts can start their work at 9 am and wake up at 11.30 for a half-hour break and then finish the day’s work by 2 pm.

Judges will get more time to work in the evening, Justice Lalit said, adding that this arrangement can work when there are only fresh cases and there are cases which do not require lengthy hearings.

Rohatgi said it is expected that more of these arrangements can be seen by the end of August. To this Justice Lalit said, it is just a capsule. Judges of the Supreme Court hear cases from 10:30 am to 4 pm on weekdays.

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana is due to retire on August 26 and Justice Lalit will take over from him and will continue in office till November 8 this year.

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said that if the courts can start early, they can finish the day’s work early and the judges will get more time in the evening to read the case files the next day.

“Courts can start their work at 9 in the morning and wake up at 11.30 for a half-hour break and then finish the day’s work by 2 in the afternoon. By doing so judges have more work to do in the evening.

” Will get time”, Justice Lalit said, adding that this arrangement can work only when there are new cases and cases which do not require lengthy hearing.

Rohatgi said it is expected that more of these arrangements can be seen by the end of August. To this Justice Lalit said, ‘It is just a capsule. Supreme Court judges hear cases from 10:30 am to 4 pm on weekdays.

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana is due to retire on August 26 and Justice Lalit will take over from him and continue in office till November 8 this year.