SC vacation benches including of CJI sits during winter break for first time
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has held vacation courts for the first time with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant himself sitting twice during the winter break to hear urgent matters involving life and liberty as well as those requiring immediate judicial intervention.
The top court holds vacation benches during longer summer break, which has now been rechristened as partial court working days, but this year was the first instance when the apex court held vacation benches even in a shorter winter break.
The Supreme Court was closed for Christmas and New Year holidays from December 22 to January 2, 2026. It will reopen on January 5.
Justice Surya Kant, who was sworn in as Chief Justice of India on November 24, had made it clear on December 19 that vacation benches including him will be sitting during the winter break to hear urgent matters.
On December 22, the first day of the winter break, a vacation bench comprising the CJI and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sat to hear 17 urgent matters including several criminal and civil cases.
A statement issued by the top court said that special sittings had been arranged to ensure timely consideration of pressing cases that required immediate judicial intervention during the vacation period.
Similarly, on December 29, a three-judge vacation bench headed by CJI Kant sat to hear a suo motu case on new definition of Aravallis amid public outcry and kept in abeyance its November 20 directions that accepted a uniform definition of these hills and ranges.
