Over the course of the summer vacations that will take place in June 2025, the Rajasthan High Court has issued an official announcement that details the schedule of vacation judges who will preside over matters that are considered to be of greater urgency. In accordance with its customary practice, the High Court suspends its regular operations for a period of several weeks during the summer months.
However, in order to answer urgent cases and safeguard the right to swift justice, a specialized roster of vacation benches continues to be in session. The notification, which was issued on April 17, 2025, assigns a specific five-day sitting term to each of the four judges who are allocated to the Principal Seat in Jodhpur and the four judges who are assigned to the Jaipur Bench. Even during periods in which the court’s calendar is completely packed, this arrangement demonstrates the court’s dedication to maintaining accessibility and consistency.
What Is the Meaning Behind a Vacation Bench?
During a vacation period, a vacation bench is a specially organized group of judges that is tasked with resolving matters that cannot wait for the full court to return from their holiday.
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In the event that the doors of the High Court are closed for ordinary hearings, the vacation bench continues to be operational in order to handle time-sensitive matters such as urgent interim applications, petitions for missing persons, requests for injunctions, bail applications in criminal cases, and other time-sensitive matters.
The purpose of this is to ensure that legal rights are not compromised for the sole reason that a court holiday has been observed. By alternating judges through brief assignments, the High Court strikes a balance between the burden of the judiciary and the need for personal leave. This helps to ensure that litigants continue to have access to justice throughout the summer months.
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Vacation Timetable for the Summer
The summer vacation of the Rajasthan High Court will begin on Monday, June 2, 2025, and will last until Sunday, June 29, 2025. The normal sittings of the court will resume on Monday, June 30, 2025.
Urgent matters are to be filed or moved before the vacation bench during this period. The vacation bench might be located in either the Principal Seat in Jodhpur or the Jaipur Bench according to the circumstances.
Because each bench will work in blocks of five days, judges will be able to organize their personal schedules and other obligations that do not involve vacation time around these defined sittings. This staggered roster serves to maintain the efficiency of the judicial system and prevents backlogs from building up in the weeks that follow the recess.
Judicial Officers on Vacation at the Principal Seat in Jodhpur
There are four judges who have been nominated to serve as vacation judges working at the Principal Seat in Jodhpur. During the period beginning on June 2 and ending on June 6, Justice Sandeep Shah will preside over the roster.
It is during his tenure that petitioners in the Jodhpur division would have their first opportunity to attempt to obtain immediate redress. After Justice Shah, Justice Sunil Beniwal will take over as the presiding judge from June 9 till June 13, during which time he will handle urgent matters and interim applications as they come up.
During the period beginning on June 16 and ending on June 20, Justice Chandra Prakash Srimali will assume the role of the third judge, so ensuring that the vacation bench continues to provide uninterrupted service.
Last but not least, Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma will bring the Principal Seat roster to a close with his sitting, which will fall between June 23 and June 27. A significant amount of experience is brought to the table by each judge, and they make certain that important legal matters are addressed in a timely manner even during the recess.
There are judges on vacation at the Jaipur Bench.
In order to represent the divided organization of the High Court, parallel preparations have been prepared at the Jaipur Bench. From June 2 to June 6, Justice Mukesh Rajpurohit will be in charge of overseeing urgent matters.
This time frame coincides with the opening period at Jodhpur. Parties involved in legal disputes in eastern Rajasthan have reliable access to justice thanks to his five-day sitting. Following this, Justice Anand Sharma will hold a sitting from June 9 to June 13, during which he will be prepared to consider applications that cannot be postponed until the conclusion of the vacation. Between the 16th and the 20th of June, Justice Maneesh Sharma will serve as the presiding judge of the Jaipur vacation bench.
This will ensure that both criminal and civil urgent matters are handled in a consistent manner. The final member of the roster is Justice Pramil Kumar Mathur, who will be deliberating from June 23 to June 27. Over the course of the summer break, these judges will work together to ensure that the Jaipur Bench continues to be responsive to the most urgent legal needs.
Procedures for Record-Keeping While on Vacation
If a party is looking for relief during the vacation time, they are required to contact the registry in order to make a request to be listed before the vacation bench. The registry determines the level of urgency associated with each application, and then under the guidance of the Chief Justice, the case is assigned to the judge who is currently on duty.
In most cases, filings consist of applications for stay orders, injunctions, habeas corpus petitions, and various other urgent civil and criminal remedies. The parties involved in the litigation are strongly encouraged to make it very apparent that their petitions are of an urgent nature and to comply with any procedural orders that may be made by the registrar.
When it comes to ensuring that the vacation bench operates without any hiccups and responds to true emergencies without undue delay, effective registry coordination is one of the most important factors.
Registrar and Chief Justice: Their Roles and Responsibilities
Even though vacation judges are responsible for hearing cases on their own during the time periods that they are assigned, the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court continues to exercise oversight over the listing and administrative procedures. The Chief Justice receives requests to establish division benches for particularly significant interim orders through the register.
These requests are sent to the Chief Justice. Managing the logistical assistance, including courtroom allocations and registry staffing, is the responsibility of the Registrar (Administration), who is also responsible for publishing the vacation bench roster. This framework for collaboration between vacation judges, the Chief Justice, and the administration of the court ensures that urgent judicial responsibilities continue without interruption, thereby preserving public confidence in the High Court’s ability to administer justice throughout the whole year.
A Significance for Practitioners and Those Who Are Litigating
It is especially important for litigants whose rights could otherwise be dormant during a prolonged recess to have access to the vacation bench procedure. As an illustration, bail petitions cannot be postponed in criminal cases where the accused has not yet been released from custody without putting the accused’s freedom at danger.
In the event of a civil dispute, it may be necessary to obtain an urgent injunction in order to prevent irreparable damage to property or economic interests. The Rajasthan High Court upholds essential principles of justice by ensuring that there is a suitable venue for hearings of this nature. Similar advantages accrue to legal practitioners as a result of the planned timetable, which enables them to provide clients with information regarding timelines, to make preparations for hearings in advance, and to avoid unnecessary adjournments once the full court reconvenes.
Benches for Vacations in Rajasthan: A Brief History of Their Development
In Indian courts, vacation benches have a long history that may be traced back to customs that were prevalent during the colonial era. The High Court of Rajasthan is responsible for the establishment of summer vents in order to accommodate the intense heat that has historically made it difficult to travel and attend court.
The objective of vacation benches moved over time from simply accommodating climate issues to protecting urgent judicial processes. This occurred as a result of an increase in the number of cases that were being heard by the judiciary and improvements in transportation. The tradition of vacation judges continues to be a key component of judicial administration, despite the fact that contemporary infrastructure and digital communication facilitate effective registry operations. This is the case even when summer temperatures are expected to reach record highs.
Best Practices and Obstacles to Overcome
There are obstacles in terms of both administration and logistics involved in operating vacation benches. It is necessary to prepare meticulously in order to successfully manage the burden of the judiciary, coordinate the registry personnel, and guarantee the availability of courtrooms.
It is necessary for judges to maintain a balance between their regular docket and their vacation obligations, and legal teams must be able to adjust to shorter schedules. Among the best practices are the communication of the roster to the public in advance, the establishment of clear standards for the submission of urgent applications, and the provision of digital filing options to limit the amount of physical foot traffic.
The continuous feedback from plaintiffs and practitioners helps enhance procedures, which helps to ensure that the vacation bench achieves its intended purpose without sacrificing the quality of justice.
It is clear that the Rajasthan High Court is dedicated to maintaining continuous justice, even during extended absences, as seen by the announcement of its vacation bench roster for the month of June 2025. The court guarantees that important petitions are adjudicated in a timely manner by first naming eight eminent judges across its Jodhpur and Jaipur seats and then assigning those judges particular five-day sittings.
The vacation bench is an essential tool that serves the purpose of protecting civil and criminal rights during times when the whole court is not conducting its business. During the summer vacations that begin on June 2 and continue until June 29, plaintiffs and lawyers alike can rely on this specialized arrangement to ensure that crucial legal processes continue to move ahead.
When the High Court resumes its normal sittings on June 30, it will then incorporate any vacation bench orders into its larger judicial calendar. This will ensure that the rule of law is respected and that there is continuity in the legal system.
