If children can go to school at 7 am, why can we not start hearing cases at 9: Justice Lalit

If children can go to school at 7 am everyday in the morning, then why can’t judges and lawyers come to court at 9 am, a Supreme Court judge said on Friday while taking up matters at 9.30 am.

The top court usually begins hearing cases at 10:30 am on weekdays.

“Ideally, we should sit at 9 in the morning. I have always said that if our children can go to school at 7 in the morning, why can’t we come to court at 9?,” Justice U U Lalit said.

The bench also comprising justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia began hearing cases at 9:30 am.

Read | Justice Lalit 'biased', feel lawyers

Justice Lalit further added that if courts were to begin at 9 am and carry on till 11.30 am, followed by a half-an-hour break and then courts could re-assemble at 12 pm and carry on till 2 pm.

“You would get time to do more things in the evening," Justice Lalit, who is in line to become the Chief Justice of India, said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing before the bench in a matter, appreciated the court taking up the matters an hour early. Rohatgi said that 9.30 am is a good time to begin the court proceedings.

As per the time table, Supreme Court benches assembled at 10.30am on weekdays and take a lunch break at 1 pm and re-assembles at 2 pm and the judges hear cases till 4pm. Justice Lalit is set to take over from Chief Justice NV Ramana on August 27. He will be in office till November 8.