Website of honorable Supreme Court deserves lot of improvement- sharing experience over a long time and recent visits on two days.

Website of honorable Supreme Court:

https://www.sci.gov.in/ is the main website and it has different pages as per context and matter of search. The website is very important for public in general and special segments of public both. Though contents intended is very large but search results are unable to provide timely information.

The process of search is also generally found very slow.

In this write-up an attempt is being made to discuss some aspects which we experience generally as and when we visit the website. Discussion is made with reference to difficulties faced and experience gained on search made on 26.08.26 and 27.08.26 in relation to one case and with Mozilla and Google

One case several numbers for example:

We find several numbers for one case. It may be due to old practices being followed or may be due to some practical difficulties that one case is allotted several numbers. As per general understanding a case should be capable for being identified and searched with any of such numbers. However, practical experience, over a long period of time (not just recent two days) shows that result may not be available with all search criteria and all such numbers. In fact it seems to test your luck, if you get result with any of numbers. Sometimes you may not find any results in all searches.

Example: Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, CPC & Ors. Versus M/s Om Siddhakala Associates. - 2026 (8) TMI 831 - SC Order

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 10175 OF 2026

[ @ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) No. 27302 OF 2026 ]

[ @ DIARY NO.48823 OF 2025 ]

In case

Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax CPC & Ors.

...Appellants

Versus

M/s Om Siddhakala Associates

...Respondent

Judgment / order dated 05.08.26

We find three numbers as above.

Author searched the above order with different search criterion on website of honourable Supreme Court on 26.08.26 and again on 27.08.26

https://www.sci.gov.in/judgements-diary-no/

https://www.sci.gov.in/judgements-case-no/

https://www.sci.gov.in/free-text-judgements/

https://www.sci.gov.in/judgements-judge/

Results were like:

No records found

Unable to reach API server

Only in search of case with date of judgment and names of judges only few results (name of cases) were found but they are not complete and the name being searched is not found therein.

Examples of search with judges names

https://www.sci.gov.in/judgements-judge/ with names of both honourable judges taken from drop list. Only three judgments were found in result and the list did not include the case being searched. The results were as follows:

Example of search with date of judgment:

https://www.sci.gov.in/judgements-judgement-date/

On search on 27.08.26 that is after 22 days from the date of order (05.08.2026), Only six judgments were found, the list did not include above judgment / order intended to be searched by the author. The following were found in search result:

This shows that there is considerable delay in uploading of judgments.

There is no search facility with name of party. Even in search with free text with name of party result may not be found in case of search of orders/ judgments.

Search with case status:

In links for search with case status we find

1. Diary number,

2. case number,

3. CNR number,

4. AOR code,

5. party name, and

6. Court.

In search with party author could find the order dated 05.08.26 and earlier orders also. name and diary number.

Vide order dt. 04.05.2026 direction was given to list in August 2026.

Vide order dt. 23.02.2026 directions were given to

Issue notice to the respondent on the application seeking condonation of delay in filing the Special Leave Petition as well as in main petition, returnable on 04.05.2026

On 15.12.2025 the case was called for hearing (it must be from cause lists) with very large number of petitions ( as per Diary numbers running into several pages with three columns for such numbers and equally very large number of counsels mentioned therein as appearing.

CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K. VINOD CHANDRAN

[IN CHAMBER]

On this date in cases bearing three Diary numbers petition to withdraw were heard and permission was granted and those three cases hence dismissed as withdrawn.

For rest of cases Inluding Om Siddhakala the order was issued as follows:

Rest of the matters **

Eight weeks' time is granted to cure the defects in the matter(s), failing which the matter(s) shall stand dismissed without further reference to the Court. If the defects are cured, the matter(s) be processed for listing before the learned Judge-in-Chambers or the appropriate Court(s) as per the Rules

** (these will be about 410 cases on counting)

On 05.08.2026 the case was finally decided.

Therefore, it appears that search with case status can be more user friendly. In case of website of ITAT also we find similar fact that search with case status is more convenient.

However, question arises is why in search in case status we find order, judgment but we may or may not find in search of orders.

When an order is linked in case status page, it can be linked to search of orders.

Else it may be advisable to dispense with page for search of orders.

The above is just illustration, the website is vast and contains lot of information. On some other day, having mood to do such exploration author will explore some more pages on websites of honorable Supreme Court.

Pendency of cases:

One question which is disturbing the author is about how pending cases are counted?

Is it with reference to one number or all numbers like Diary number, case number- civil appeal number, Special Leave Petition number etc.

Then there can be other incidental cases like Stay Petition, Condonation of delay petition, other Interlocutory applications etc.

If all such cases are counted in pending cases, then off course it appears to be multiplying number of cases.