Overview
- The FCC published its 2026 Practice and Procedure Rules on Oct. 1–2, formally governing contempt, review petitions, appeals, habeas corpus, adjournments, lawyer enrolment and death‑penalty cases.
- Anyone may apply for contempt and the court may act on its own motion while review petitioners must deposit Rs50,000 as security that can be forfeited if a petition is dismissed or found baseless.
- The rules impose minimum cost orders of at least Rs25,000 and allow disciplinary action against lawyers who file frivolous or mala fide review petitions to deter repeat filings.
- The registry and registrar gain gatekeeping powers to refuse non‑conforming or scandalous petitions with a 14‑day right to appeal to the Judge‑in‑Chambers, and the rules bar successive review petitions against the same order.
- In death‑penalty cases the registrar must notify the relevant government and filing a review petition automatically stays execution until the review is decided, subject to narrow exceptions.