The Supreme Court has operationalised a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the conduct of oral arguments in post-notice and regular hearing matters, with immediate effect.
Notified through a circular dated December 29, 2025, the SOP mandated Senior Advocates, arguing counsel, and Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) to pre-declare the estimated duration of their oral submissions. These timelines are required to be uploaded on the Apex Court’s designated appearance slip online portal at least one day prior to the commencement of the hearing. The obligation would rest jointly on the Senior Advocate engaged, the arguing counsel, and the AoR concerned.
The procedural reform has been anchored in the Supreme Court’s broader mandate under Articles 136, 141, and 145 of the Constitution to regulate its own practice and procedure, reflecting the long-standing judicial concerns regarding protracted hearings, fragmented submissions, and inefficient allocation of judicial time. The measure has found resonance with earlier observations of the Court emphasising case management and proportionality in oral advocacy, including in Salem Advocate Bar Association (II) v. Union of India (2005) 6 SCC 344, where structured procedural discipline was identified as essential to expeditious justice.
To further assist the Bench in pre-hearing preparation and focused adjudication, the SOP required the filing of a concise written submission or brief note, capped at five pages. Such submissions must be served on the opposing party and filed before the Court at least three days prior to the scheduled date of hearing. The filing may be routed through the Advocate-on-Record or, where applicable, a nodal counsel nominated by the Court. The requirement aligned with the Court’s increasing reliance on written synopses to avoid repetitive oral arguments and to sharpen the contours of legal issues under consideration.
The circular underscored that the timelines, once fixed, were binding, and counsels were expected to strictly conclude their oral submissions within the allotted duration. The directive signalled a decisive move towards structured hearings, effective court management, and equitable distribution of court working hours across benches, particularly in an era marked by heavy constitutional, commercial, and statutory litigation.
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