New Delhi, — In a significant move aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency, the Ministry of Law and Justice has notified the Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules, 2025, restoring second and fourth Saturdays as working days for the Supreme Court registry and offices. The change, published in the Gazette of India, will come into effect on July 14, 2025.
The notification revises Order II, Rules 1 to 3 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, laying down a fresh framework for the Court’s operational schedule and office hours. As per the amendment, the Supreme Court registry and administrative offices will now function from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on all working days, including the previously off-duty second and fourth Saturdays. This is a departure from the existing practice where these Saturdays were considered non-working days for administrative functioning.
However, Sundays and officially declared holidays will continue to remain non-working. Partial working days and emergency court operations will still follow special protocols.
Urgent Filing Hours Also Specified
The amendment also adds clarity regarding filings submitted close to closing hours. According to the notification, only urgent matters will be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on regular working days. This regulation is intended to ensure that staff are not burdened with non-urgent documentation during the closing hours while maintaining access to justice for urgent legal issues.
This measure is expected to streamline workflow, improve processing speed for petitions and documentation, and potentially reduce the backlog in administrative processing, though the main judicial benches’ hearing schedules remain unaffected.
Legal Community Reacts
The announcement has evoked mixed reactions from members of the legal fraternity. While some practitioners welcome the added workdays as a step toward greater efficiency, others express concern over potential staff fatigue and the impact on work-life balance for court employees.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Bansal, speaking to a legal news outlet, remarked, “From an efficiency standpoint, the inclusion of more working days can help expedite matters, especially in the registry which handles thousands of procedural tasks. However, implementation must be supported with appropriate staff welfare policies.”
Court officials are expected to issue further circulars detailing the internal adjustments in light of the rule change, including duty rosters and possible shift-based work structures to ensure employee wellbeing.
Broader Implications for Judiciary Reforms
This move appears to be part of a broader push for judicial reform and digitization within the Indian judiciary. Over the past few years, the Supreme Court has introduced e-filing systems, hybrid hearings, and AI-based translation tools. The addition of working Saturdays could complement these innovations by enhancing administrative readiness and reducing delays caused by non-working weekends.
Legal experts have also pointed out that while the working schedule for registry offices has been revised, the judicial side—i.e., benches hearing cases—will likely continue functioning on their traditional five-day schedule unless otherwise notified.
Implementation Timeline
With the rule change officially notified, administrative departments of the Supreme Court will begin preparations for the July 14 implementation. Internal training, calendar adjustments, and communication to stakeholders are expected in the coming weeks.
The Ministry’s notification concludes with a formal declaration that the amendment will be enforced from “the 14th day of July, 2025,” as per its publication in the Gazette of India.
This amendment marks a noteworthy step in judicial administration and reflects ongoing efforts to modernize and optimize India’s legal infrastructure for improved public service delivery.
Source:
- Gazette of India Notification, Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department), June 2025
- Supreme Court of India – Administrative Circulars
- Interviews with legal experts via Bar & Bench and LiveLaw
