Efficiency in Litigation: Supreme Court Moves to Centralise CLAT 2025 Cases

Streamlined Adjudication for CLAT 2025 Petitions: Supreme Court's Proposal

The Supreme Court proposed transferring all petitions challenging the CLAT 2025 results to the Punjab and Haryana High Court for consolidated adjudication. All parties were instructed to present their positions at the next hearing in February 2025. The CLAT, held in December 2024, is the entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate law courses at National Law Universities. Challenges to the results are currently being heard in multiple High Courts, including Delhi, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab and Haryana. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar issued notices on the transfer petitions filed by the Consortium of National Law Universities, seeking the centralisation of litigation in multiple High Courts.

CJI Khanna emphasized that consolidating the cases would expedite the process, citing the higher disposal rate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court as a reason for preferring its jurisdiction. While Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported transferring the petitions to a single High Court, he suggested the Karnataka High Court as an alternative. The bench, however, leaned toward the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where the first petition was filed. Lawyers for some petitioners sought to transfer the cases to the Delhi High Court, referencing a previous ruling that found two CLAT UG 2025 answers incorrect and ordered a revision for specific petitioners. However, CJI Khanna rejected the request, stating that centralising all cases was necessary for uniformity and to expedite the process.

The bench directed that all pending writ petitions be handled by a single High Court for efficiency and announced that notices would be issued, with a return date in the week starting February 3, 2025. The notices would be served to counsels representing petitioners in various High Courts. The bench expressed its preference for transferring the cases to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

All parties were instructed to present their positions at the next hearing in February 2025. In December 2024, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition challenging the CLAT-PG 2025 answer keys, advising petitioners to approach the relevant High Courts. Meanwhile, a Delhi High Court single-judge bench ruled that two CLAT-UG 2025 questions were incorrect and ordered result revisions for affected candidates. The Consortium's appeal was rejected by a division bench, which found no prima facie error in the initial ruling.

The Supreme Court's proposal to centralise all petitions challenging the CLAT 2025 results to the Punjab and Haryana High Court aims to streamline the adjudication process and ensure consistency across cases.

Editor's Note:

The Supreme Court's decision to propose transferring all petitions challenging the CLAT 2025 results is a significant step toward ensuring a fair and efficient adjudication process. By consolidating the cases, the Court aims to expedite the resolution of the disputes, providing clarity and consistency for all stakeholders involved. This move highlights the judiciary's commitment to maintaining transparency and uniformity in handling examination challenges. The upcoming hearing in February 2025 will be a critical juncture in this ongoing legal process, with important implications for the future of the CLAT examination system. 

Skoobuzz views this step as a positive move toward streamlining the legal process and ensuring a timely resolution, which will ultimately benefit both the candidates and the institutions involved in the CLAT examination.