No pre-lunch sitting for SC on Tuesday due to new President's swearing-in

The Supreme Court will not be sitting in its pre-lunch session on Tuesday as all its 27 judges of the top will be attending the swearing-in of President-elect Ram Nath Kovind at the Central Hall of Parliament

Kovind will be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar at 12.30 p.m.

The Supreme Court on Monday afternoon announced that it would sit at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Perhaps it for the first time that Supreme Court would be skipping its pre-lunch sitting on account of the swearing-in of the President-elect that is always done by the Chief Justice of India.

"I can't be very sure, perhaps it has not happened before," said senior counsel P.H. Parekh who has the distinction of being with four Presidents - K.R.Narayanan, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee - to extend legal assistance at the time of filing their nomination papers.

This comes as Chief Justice Khehar, a workaholic, who after taking oath as 44th CJI on January 4, came to Supreme Court and commenced the hearing of cases in court number one sharp at 10.30 a.m. - the time for top court to commence its sitting every day.

Some other veterans in the top court are unable to recall instances when pre-lunch setting of the top court was dispensed with altogether because of the swearing of the President-elect.

They say there were instances when the sittings were delayed but never failed to be held.

--IANS

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