India, Nov. 25 -- On his first day as Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Surya Kant signalled a shift in the Supreme Court's morning routine, announcing that the practice of listing matters on the same day upon oral mentioning would no longer be entertained, except in cases involving personal liberty or imminent execution.

Addressing a group of lawyers gathered in his courtroom seeking urgent dates for their matters, CJI Kant said the era of daily queues for oral mentioning must end. "I had said it sitting in Court No. 2 that unless someone's liberty is involved or a death sentence is to be executed, I will never allow listing of a case on the same day. This practice has to be discouraged," he told the Bar.

All requests for urgent li...