SCBA Urges CJI NV Ramana to Consider Resuming Physical Hearing In Supreme Court.
(Judicial Quest News Network)
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President & Senior Advocate Vikas Singh has written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Raman to consider resuming the physical functioning of Supreme Court in view of dip in COVID-19 cases.
The letter has pointed that the condition in Delhi has come to almost normal as far as COVID-19 situation is concerned as the positivity rate has come down to 0.09%.
He further urged that we have to resume our activities on the basis of the current situation. The way forward in today’s scenario would be to start the court with normal functioning by observing the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour so that the court functioning does not in any manner increase the COVID impact even if third wave were to come.
Regarding the physical hearing of the court, SCBA’s President suggested that on miscellaneous days there should be sick slots of 45 minutes each. Each slot can have ten matters and in this way sixty matters can be decided in a physical hearing, the bar body said.
AS on non-miscellaneous days i.e. Tuesdays to Thursdays, subject to overnight part-heard matters ,2slots of 45 minutes each should be assigned for miscellaneous/final disposal matter and there after 3 slots of 1 hour each should be assigned for 2final hearing matters in each slot so that around 6 final hearing matters can be taken up.
The association further urged that after every slot the court rooms should be vacated and thereafter sanitised by persons duly trained in the said task.
Chamber Judge and Single judge matters should also be taken up in physical hearing mode.
The association also suggested that to avoid the overcrowding in the court rooms, the media persons should not allow inside the court room and should only be allowed to watch the proceedings by virtual mode.
The association also urged the CJI to grant permission to lawyers to access libraries and lounges in the high security zone of the Supreme Court.
