The kinetics and mechanism of chromic acid oxidation of L-sorbose in the presence and absence of picolinic acid (PA) have been studied under the conditions, [L-sorbose]T >> [PA]T >> [Cr(VI)]T, at different temperatures. In the absence of PA, the monomeric chromic acid undergoes esterification with the substrate followed by the acid catalysed redox decomposition of the Cr(VI)-substrate ester through glycol splitting to formaldehyde and the lactone of C5-aldonic acid and Cr(IV) which subsequently participates in the faster reactions. In the presence of PA, the Cr(VI)-PA complex produced in a pre-equilibrium step experiences a nucleophilic attack by the substrate to produce a ternary complex which decomposes through glycol splitting giving rise to the organic products and Cr ( . In the presence of the surfactants like N-cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC, a cationic surfactant) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, an anionic sulfate), the reaction orders remain unchanged. CPC has been found to inhibit both the uncatalysed and PA-catalysed paths while SDS shows the rate accelerating effect for both the uncatalysed and PA-catalysed paths. The observed micellar effects have been rationalised by considering the distribution of the reactants between the micellar and aqueous phases in terms of the proposed reaction mechanism.