Summary of this article
Supreme Court prioritises cases for super seniors (above 80 years), specially-abled, acid victims, BPL.
Lawyers must flag vulnerable categories with proof when filing fresh petitions.
The aim is to expedite justice, spares vulnerable groups from lengthy legal battles.
The Supreme Court of India has directed priority hearings for cases that involve super senior citizens (those aged 80 years and above), specially-abled individuals, acid attack victims, persons below the poverty line (BPL), and legal aid matters, in a recent order. The idea is to ensure faster resolution of legal disputes of these four categories of people. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant shared this update during a conversation with CNN-News18 on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, where the channel also accessed the official court order.
According to the order, four specific categories of vulnerable sections of society will receive prioritised case hearings. These include:
• Cases relating to specially-abled persons and victims of acid attacks
• Matters relating to senior citizens aged more than 80 years
• Cases pertaining to individuals below the poverty line
• Proceedings of legal aid matters
The judicial system in India is known for its lengthy and cumbersome processes that often span years before reaching a final conclusion. In order to provide prioritised case hearings, the order instructs members of the Bar, parties-in-person, and all other stakeholders to clearly mention the relevant vulnerable category for their matters when filing and submitting fresh petitions to the court Registry.
Additionally, petitioners are required to submit an application or a letter along with documentary evidence issued by an appropriate government authority to verify that they belong to one of these priority categories.
The order also directs parties to provide category details for all pending cases, so that the Registry can update and classify them under the respective priority heads, for prioritised hearing.
The objective is to fast-track the settlement of cases for these vulnerable groups and save them from the hassles linked with the lengthy legal battles.
Recently, Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Minister of State for Law and Justice, shared information about expanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage in the legal system while responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha. He informed that an AI tool, Legal Research Analysis Assistant (LegRAA), has been developed with the idea to provide support to judges for legal research and making a decision.
One of the other initiatives to enhance judicial proceedings’ efficiency is SUPACE (Supreme Court Portal Assistance in Court Efficiency, which is currently in the experimental stage. As these AI initiatives are under pilot mode, they will be evaluated for their efficiency, reliability, and security before adoption. Further, these will be available for high courts, too, across the country.
With the Supreme Court's new order on prioritising hearings for vulnerable categories, super senior citizens and other specified group categories can now expect a much speedier resolution of their legal matters.
