File photo: Supreme Court of India NEW DELHI: Moving towards promptly answering litigants’ midnight knocks on the doors of constitutional courts for protection of life and liberty, Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to attempt devising a standard operating procedure (SOP) to expeditiously hear such petitions even after the courts’ official working time.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana entertained a PIL by advocate Maheravish Rein, who complained that when litigants face emerging situations threatening their life and liberty, there is no process available for them to approach the constitutional courts, which becomes important when the police is hand-in-glove with the oppressors.The petitioner cited a case relating to an inter-faith marriage where police were approached by the couple for security. Instead of providing security, police took the girl away and handed her to her parents at a place away from the police station, she said.Rein said that she knocked on the doors of the Delhi HC chief justice and CJI in Nov last year but got no response, adding that the Supreme Cuurt registrar asked her to wait till morning.Justice Bagchi said there is a system in place in Supreme Court and each HC to deal with urgent petitions involving life and liberty issues. “It is not that there is no system. What was wrong was the response given at the access point for filing the petition.”CJI Kant has periodically stated that courts should aim to function 24×7 like hospitals to promptly address the pain and sufferings of the common man. He added that the court has no difficulty in listing urgent matters for hearing, but in many cases, these are required to be scrutinised by the registry as most such petitions are drafted badly and convey a very vague picture.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta suggested that it should be restricted to cases where infringement of life and liberty is apprehended and not to any other category as any leeway given by the court would flood it with commercial litigations citing urgency.The bench agreed with the SG and said that only petitions relating to life and liberty would be considered for urgent listing. The SG also suggested that the SOP can be framed on the administrative side by Supreme Court.However, the CJI decided to seek suggestions from HCs and the registry of Supreme Court, saying if the SOP is to be applied to HCs for urgent hearing of petitions beyond court hours, it should also apply to the Supreme Court.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos5 Plots, 4 Flats, Villa: ACB Raid On HMDA Engineer Exposes Rs 9.24 Crore Assets | HyderabadIndia-UK Trade Deal Kicks In From July 15, 99% Of Indian Exports Get Duty-Free AccessSupreme Court Refuses Stay In Bhojshala Case, Allows Alternate Namaz Site Till Final VerdictOp Vijay: How India Captured Tololing And Point 5140 Before Tiger HillAssam’s Tinsukia Uses CCTV And LED Screens To Shame Alleged Public Urinators’Brazenly Violated Our Order’: Supreme Court Imposes ₹3 Lakh Fine On Comedian Samay RainaCalls For Wangchuk To Call Off Hunger Strike Grow: Politicians, Actors, Even Dipke Issue Appeals₹198 Crore, 8 Criminal Cases: What Prashant Kishor’s Bankipur Bypoll Affidavit RevealsIron Rods Hurled, Car Windows Smashed As Family Chased For 15 Km After Harassment RowViral Video Claims Pensioner’s Bank Account Showed Rs 759 Crore, Raises Questions Over Glitch123PhotostoriesExclusive – Sunita Ahuja on Govinda’s alleged affairs and why she chose forgiveness; says ‘Why should I walk away if I love my husband? Kaun sa hero doodh ka dhula hai’From gold mines to desert ruins; 5 real ghost towns across America that look frozen in timeThink you know cows? These 5 surprising facts say otherwise8 ways to stop overthinking before it steals your peace of mindAlia Bhatt serves gothic glam in an all-black look as she joins Sohum Shah for ‘Tumbbad 2’Your kidneys could be losing function for years before creatinine rises; Doctor explains the silent damage most people never notice10 literary baby names inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless playsAvoiding sweets but blood sugar still rising? These overlooked daily habits could be the real reason, says doctor“Children need more than just parents to grow”: Kajol on why she sent her daughter to a boarding schoolHPV vaccine can prevent most cervical cancer cases: What every parent and young woman should know before deciding123Hot PicksNEET recorded responseRSCIT admit cardGold rate todayITR filingOil Price TodaySonam Wangchuk hunger strikeS. JaishankarWayanad LandslideStrait of HormuTop TrendingKarnataka Black MagicVietnam Boat TragedyITR filingFIFA World Cup 2026Tamil Nadu Steel Melting UnitGhaziabad Mall Rape MurderDelhi Police Wife MurderSharad PawarJharkhand RapeIran war

File photo: Supreme Court of India NEW DELHI: Moving towards promptly answering litigants’ midnight knocks on the doors of constitutional courts for protection of life and liberty, Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to attempt devising a standard operating procedure (SOP) to expeditiously hear such petitions even after the courts’ official working time.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana entertained a PIL by advocate Maheravish Rein, who complained that when litigants face emerging situations threatening their life and liberty, there is no process available for them to approach the constitutional courts, which becomes important when the police is hand-in-glove with the oppressors.The petitioner cited a case relating to an inter-faith marriage where police were approached by the couple for security. Instead of providing security, police took the girl away and handed her to her parents at a place away from the police station, she said.Rein said that she knocked on the doors of the Delhi HC chief justice and CJI in Nov last year but got no response, adding that the Supreme Cuurt registrar asked her to wait till morning.Justice Bagchi said there is a system in place in Supreme Court and each HC to deal with urgent petitions involving life and liberty issues. “It is not that there is no system. What was wrong was the response given at the access point for filing the petition.”CJI Kant has periodically stated that courts should aim to function 24×7 like hospitals to promptly address the pain and sufferings of the common man. He added that the court has no difficulty in listing urgent matters for hearing, but in many cases, these are required to be scrutinised by the registry as most such petitions are drafted badly and convey a very vague picture.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta suggested that it should be restricted to cases where infringement of life and liberty is apprehended and not to any other category as any leeway given by the court would flood it with commercial litigations citing urgency.The bench agreed with the SG and said that only petitions relating to life and liberty would be considered for urgent listing. The SG also suggested that the SOP can be framed on the administrative side by Supreme Court.However, the CJI decided to seek suggestions from HCs and the registry of Supreme Court, saying if the SOP is to be applied to HCs for urgent hearing of petitions beyond court hours, it should also apply to the Supreme Court.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos5 Plots, 4 Flats, Villa: ACB Raid On HMDA Engineer Exposes Rs 9.24 Crore Assets | HyderabadIndia-UK Trade Deal Kicks In From July 15, 99% Of Indian Exports Get Duty-Free AccessSupreme Court Refuses Stay In Bhojshala Case, Allows Alternate Namaz Site Till Final VerdictOp Vijay: How India Captured Tololing And Point 5140 Before Tiger HillAssam’s Tinsukia Uses CCTV And LED Screens To Shame Alleged Public Urinators’Brazenly Violated Our Order’: Supreme Court Imposes ₹3 Lakh Fine On Comedian Samay RainaCalls For Wangchuk To Call Off Hunger Strike Grow: Politicians, Actors, Even Dipke Issue Appeals₹198 Crore, 8 Criminal Cases: What Prashant Kishor’s Bankipur Bypoll Affidavit RevealsIron Rods Hurled, Car Windows Smashed As Family Chased For 15 Km After Harassment RowViral Video Claims Pensioner’s Bank Account Showed Rs 759 Crore, Raises Questions Over Glitch123PhotostoriesExclusive – Sunita Ahuja on Govinda’s alleged affairs and why she chose forgiveness; says ‘Why should I walk away if I love my husband? Kaun sa hero doodh ka dhula hai’From gold mines to desert ruins; 5 real ghost towns across America that look frozen in timeThink you know cows? These 5 surprising facts say otherwise8 ways to stop overthinking before it steals your peace of mindAlia Bhatt serves gothic glam in an all-black look as she joins Sohum Shah for ‘Tumbbad 2’Your kidneys could be losing function for years before creatinine rises; Doctor explains the silent damage most people never notice10 literary baby names inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless playsAvoiding sweets but blood sugar still rising? These overlooked daily habits could be the real reason, says doctor“Children need more than just parents to grow”: Kajol on why she sent her daughter to a boarding schoolHPV vaccine can prevent most cervical cancer cases: What every parent and young woman should know before deciding123Hot PicksNEET recorded responseRSCIT admit cardGold rate todayITR filingOil Price TodaySonam Wangchuk hunger strikeS. JaishankarWayanad LandslideStrait of HormuTop TrendingKarnataka Black MagicVietnam Boat TragedyITR filingFIFA World Cup 2026Tamil Nadu Steel Melting UnitGhaziabad Mall Rape MurderDelhi Police Wife MurderSharad PawarJharkhand RapeIran war


SOP soon to hear petitions after working hours, says Supreme Court
File photo: Supreme Court of India

NEW DELHI: Moving towards promptly answering litigants’ midnight knocks on the doors of constitutional courts for protection of life and liberty, Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to attempt devising a standard operating procedure (SOP) to expeditiously hear such petitions even after the courts’ official working time.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana entertained a PIL by advocate Maheravish Rein, who complained that when litigants face emerging situations threatening their life and liberty, there is no process available for them to approach the constitutional courts, which becomes important when the police is hand-in-glove with the oppressors.The petitioner cited a case relating to an inter-faith marriage where police were approached by the couple for security. Instead of providing security, police took the girl away and handed her to her parents at a place away from the police station, she said.Rein said that she knocked on the doors of the Delhi HC chief justice and CJI in Nov last year but got no response, adding that the Supreme Cuurt registrar asked her to wait till morning.Justice Bagchi said there is a system in place in Supreme Court and each HC to deal with urgent petitions involving life and liberty issues. “It is not that there is no system. What was wrong was the response given at the access point for filing the petition.”CJI Kant has periodically stated that courts should aim to function 24×7 like hospitals to promptly address the pain and sufferings of the common man. He added that the court has no difficulty in listing urgent matters for hearing, but in many cases, these are required to be scrutinised by the registry as most such petitions are drafted badly and convey a very vague picture.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta suggested that it should be restricted to cases where infringement of life and liberty is apprehended and not to any other category as any leeway given by the court would flood it with commercial litigations citing urgency.The bench agreed with the SG and said that only petitions relating to life and liberty would be considered for urgent listing. The SG also suggested that the SOP can be framed on the administrative side by Supreme Court.However, the CJI decided to seek suggestions from HCs and the registry of Supreme Court, saying if the SOP is to be applied to HCs for urgent hearing of petitions beyond court hours, it should also apply to the Supreme Court.



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