ADJ stands for Adjournment — the postponement or deferment of a court hearing, proceeding, or legal matter to a future date. An adjournment suspends the current proceedings and assigns a new date (NDOH — Next Date of Hearing) for the case to resume.
In Indian courts, the abbreviation “ADJ” appears in court orders, cause lists, and registers — indicating that a matter has been adjourned. For example, a court order might note: “ADJ for arguments to [date]” or “Matter ADJ at the request of counsel.”
Why Adjournments Happen
Adjournments occur for countless reasons in the Indian judicial system:
Valid/Legitimate Reasons
- Advocate is unavailable due to illness or engagement in another court
- The opposing party’s advocate is absent
- A key witness is unavailable
- An essential document needs to be produced
- The court itself is unavailable (judge on leave, bench not constituted)
- Further time needed to file a reply or rejoinder
- Pending orders from a higher court
Problematic Reasons
- Routine delay tactics by one party to delay justice
- Lack of preparation by advocates
- Last-minute filing of applications requiring fresh responses
- “Mention” adjournments where cases are not properly argued
- Repeated “short adjournment” requests
Legal Framework Governing Adjournments
Order XVII CPC (Civil Cases) Order XVII of the CPC specifically limits adjournments in civil cases. Rule 1 provides that the court shall not grant more than three adjournments in a suit to each party, and where adjournments are granted, the court shall impose costs unless there are exceptional reasons.
This limitation was introduced to address the problem of adjournment culture in Indian civil courts. However, enforcement remains inconsistent.
Section 309 CrPC (Criminal Cases) In criminal trials, Section 309 CrPC (now equivalent in BNSS) provides that the trial must proceed as expeditiously as possible. Once witnesses begin to be examined, the inquiry or trial shall be continued from day to day until all the witnesses in attendance have been examined, unless the court finds the adjournment necessary for specific reasons recorded in writing.
Types of Adjournment
Sine Die Adjournment Adjournment without a fixed future date — the case is deferred indefinitely until some condition is met. Represents the most open-ended form of postponement.
Short Adjournment A brief adjournment — sometimes within the same day or to the next day — for a specific purpose like consultation with the client or production of a document.
Long Adjournment Adjournment to a date weeks or months away — the more common type that contributes to pendency.
Suo Motu Adjournment Adjournment granted by the court on its own initiative — without any party applying for it. Courts sometimes adjourn cases when they are overloaded, when the judge changes, or when they need time to consider a complex legal issue.
Adjournment and Judicial Pendency — The Crisis
India’s judicial pendency problem is directly linked to adjournment culture. Every adjournment adds weeks or months to a case’s life:
- India has over 50 million pending cases across all courts
- The average time to resolve a civil case in India is 4–15 years
- Each adjournment in a case with multiple parties, multiple witnesses, and complex evidence can add months
- High Courts and the Supreme Court have repeatedly directed trial courts to limit adjournments
- The BNSS (2023) introduced mandatory timelines for criminal trials — directly aimed at reducing adjournments
Costs for Adjournments
Order XVII Rule 1 CPC provides that when an adjournment is granted, the court may impose costs on the party causing the adjournment. These costs are meant to:
- Compensate the other party for wasted time and preparation
- Deter frivolous adjournment requests
- Signal that court time is a limited public resource
However, cost imposition for adjournments remains underutilised — courts often grant adjournments without costs, contributing to the culture of routine postponement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the full form of ADJ in law?
A: ADJ stands for Adjournment — the postponement of court proceedings to a future date, assigned as the NDOH (Next Date of Hearing).
Q: What is the maximum number of adjournments allowed in a civil case?
A: Under Order XVII CPC, courts should not grant more than three adjournments in a suit to each party. However, courts have discretion and this rule is not always strictly enforced.
Q: Can a court charge costs for adjournment?
A: Yes. Under Order XVII Rule 1 CPC, courts can impose costs on the party causing an adjournment. However, in practice, cost imposition for adjournments is not as common as it should be.
Q: What is a “sine die” adjournment?
A: Sine die (Latin for “without day”) means adjournment without a fixed future date. The case is deferred indefinitely until some condition is met or a party applies for a fresh date.
Q: How does adjournment contribute to judicial pendency?
A: Each adjournment delays a case by weeks to months. Across millions of cases, this cumulative effect is a primary driver of India’s massive judicial backlog of over 50 million pending cases.
Q: Can a case be dismissed for multiple adjournments?
A: Yes. Under Order XVII Rule 3 CPC, if a party repeatedly fails to appear on the date to which the case is adjourned, the court may decide the case against that party — either ex-parte or by dismissing the suit.
Q: What does BNSS say about adjournments in criminal cases?
A: BNSS (2023) introduces mandatory timelines for various stages of criminal trials — directly aimed at reducing indefinite postponements and ensuring timely completion of criminal proceedings.
Q: Can a judge refuse an adjournment?
A: Yes. Courts have full discretion to refuse adjournment requests that are not supported by adequate reasons, particularly in criminal cases where BNSS provisions mandate expeditious trials.
