No SC benches to be available during winter vacation: CJI

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Friday said no Supreme Court bench will be available from December 17 till January 1 during the ensuing winter vacations.

The CJI's announcement made in the apex court assumes significance in the wake of Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju's statement in Rajya Sabha on Thursday in which he said there was a feeling among the people that long court vacations were not very convenient for justice seekers.

"There will be no benches available from tomorrow till January 1," Justice Chandrachud informed the lawyers present in the courtroom at the outset.

Friday is the last working day of the top court before it goes on a two-week winter break. The apex court will reopen on January 2.

The issue regarding court vacations has been raised earlier also but judges, including former CJI Ramana, had said there is a misconception that judges stay in ultimate comfort and enjoy their holidays.

Delivering the inaugural Justice SB Sinha Memorial Lecture on 'Life of a Judge' in Ranchi in July, the then CJI Ramana had said judges spend sleepless nights rethinking their decisions.

"There exists a misconception in the minds of the people that judges stay in ultimate comfort, work only from 10 am to 4 pm and enjoy their holidays. Such a narrative is untrue... when false narratives are created about the supposed easy life led by judges, it is difficult to swallow," he had said.

"We continue to work even during weekends and court holidays to do research and author pending judgments. In this process, we miss out on many joys of our lives," Justice Ramana had said.

Similarly, a former judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice Jayant Nath, had in November last year said that the public perception of courts going on vacations like schools was not correct and an appropriate machinery must be engaged to project their hard work for an "image change".