'Don't Want This To Be A 'Tareekh Pe Tareekh' Court': CJI DY Chandrachud Urges Lawyers To Not Seek Unnecessary Adjournments

"I don't want this court to be a 'tareekh-pe-tareekh' court," said Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud today (November 3, 2023) highlighting the 'irony' of lawyers seeking adjournment of the very same matters which were urgently listed on their request.

CJI requested the members of the bar to not seek adjournments of matters unless "very very necessary".

The CJI cited statistics showing a significant number of adjournment requests and highlighted the inefficiency of the practice. CJI Chandrachud earnestly requested the members of the bar to seek adjournments only when absolutely necessary, emphasizing the importance of preventing the court from becoming associated with prolonged delays. He said–

"There are 178 adjournment slips today. On an average per miscellaneous day from 1st September- 3rd September, 154 adjournments are circulated. 3688 adjournments in 2 months. This defeats the purpose of filing and listing."

In contrast, he stated, there have been 2,361 cases mentioned for urgent listing in the court since September 2023, with an average of 59 cases mentioned daily. This has created a paradox where cases are initially listed quickly but then subsequently adjourned. The CJI remarked–

"On the one hand matters are listed on expedited basis, on the other hand, they're mentioned, then they get listed and then they're adjourned. I request the members of the bar to not seek adjournments unless really really necessary. This cannot become a tareek pe tareek court. This defeats trust of citizens in our court."

CJI added that in the Supreme Court, lawyers could seek adjournments by circulating a letter, whereas in High Courts, adjournment request has to be made before the judge when the matter comes up and the grant of the request is subject to the judge's discretion.

The term 'tareekh pe tareekh' was popularised by an iconic dialogue by Sunny Deol in the 1993  Hindi film 'Damini', in which the actor, playing the role of a lawyer, used the phrase to express exasperation at the repeated adjournments in a case. Since then, the term has been in vogue, denoting the prolonged delays in the justice system.