New Delhi, May 17: Breaking from tradition, the Supreme Court will operate with as many as 21 vacation benches during its summer break from May 26 to July 13, 2025, with Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and four other senior-most judges scheduled to hold court in the first week.
A notification from the apex court has rechristened the summer recess as “partial court working days” and announced that regular functioning will resume from July 14.
Unlike the earlier practice of only two vacation benches, the 2025 schedule provides for two to five benches operating on each partial working day, enhancing access to justice even during vacation.
The registry will remain open from 10 am to 5 pm, closing only on Saturdays (except July 12), Sundays, and public holidays.
Vacation Bench Schedule:
May 26–June 1 (Five Benches)
- Chief Justice of India and Justice AG Masih
- Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar
- Justices JK Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar
- Justices BV Nagarathna and SC Sharma
June 2–8 (Three Benches)
- Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma
- Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and SVN Bhatti
- Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and AG Masih
June 9–15 (Two Benches)
- Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan
- Justices SVN Bhatti and Punjab Varale
June 16–22 (Two Benches)
- Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan
- Justices Sandeep Mehta and Punjab Varale
June 23–29 (Three Benches)
- Justices KV Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh
- Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran
- Justices Sandeep Mehta and Joymalya Bagchi
June 30–July 6 (Three Benches)
- Justices MM Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran
- Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan
- Justices Manoj Misra and N Kotiswar Singh
July 7–13 (Three Benches)
- Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi
- Justices Pankaj Mithal and KV Viswanathan
- Justices Rajesh Bindal and R Mahadevan
The participation of the Chief Justice and other top judges marks a significant shift in the approach to judicial vacations, aimed at ensuring continued legal access for litigants during the break.
