New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) In a significant administrative shift, the Ministry of Law and Justice has notified the Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules, 2025, declaring that second and fourth Saturdays—which were previously observed as off days—will now be working days once again for the Supreme Court's registry and offices.

The amendment will come into effect from July 14, 2025.

The notification redefines working hours and operational days under Order II, Rules 1 to 3 of the Supreme Court Rules, reflecting a move aimed at improving court administration and efficiency.

Key changes introduced include the change in daily working hours:

The Supreme Court office shall now remain open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on all working days, excluding holidays and partial working days.

Only urgent filings will be accepted after 4:30 PM on regular working days.

The Court office will now remain open on all Saturdays, including the second and fourth Saturdays, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Urgent matters will be accepted only until 12:00 noon on Saturdays.

Special holidays (for example Christmas, New Year): Working hours on such days will be determined and notified by the Chief Justice of India on a case-by-case basis.

This move comes as part of broader efforts to enhance access to justice, improve the pace of court operations, and optimise court infrastructure and registry responsiveness.

The notification marks a return to pre-pandemic norms when the court registry operated with extended working days, thereby allowing greater procedural efficiency in case processing.

This amendment follows ongoing deliberations around judicial reforms and the need to reduce pendency in courts. It is expected to ease pressure on the system by facilitating quicker administrative processing of case files, listings, and orders.

The full text of the Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules, 2025 will be available on the official website of the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Law and Justice.

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