Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud recently opened up on the debate of the long vacations in courts by saying that judges are almost working non-stop to deal with the massive number of cases in the country.
Members of the Parliament and politicians across the country have been critical of the long vacations in the SC and High Courts.
Justice Chandrachud said that while it may look like judges are getting too many holidays in a year, the reality is very different from what it seems.
"People see us sitting in court from 10.30 to 4pm. We handle between 40 and 60 cases everyday in the SC.
"The work which we do between this time in the SC is a fraction of the work which we do in order to be ready to deal with the other cases which are going to come up the next day. You spend an equal amount of time in the evenings, reading for the next day," Justice Chandrachud told India Today.
'SC Judges work all 7 days a week'
The 63-year-old further said that the Supreme Court judges work all seven days in a week to handle the massive load of work that they are entrusted upon.
"Our judgements are in reserve, so on Saturdays typically every judge of the SC will sit down and dictate judgements. On Sundays, all of us sit down and read for Monday. Without exception, every judge of the SC works for 7 days in a week," he added.
'Time on vacation is spent preparing judgements'
Justice Chandrachud said that the judges work on the holidays as well.
"What people don't know is this that most of the time on vacation is spent preparing judgements which you have kept in reserve because you have just no time during the week.
"When you are working 7 days a week, just trying to keep ahead of the curve to deal with you're cases. The last winter vacation I was sitting with judicial clerks keeping up on all the judgements which I had to deliver. Yes, at the end of it in the Summer vacation you will get a week off to travel with your family," Chandrachud said.
