Chief Justice of India S A Bobde on Wednesday said the top would prefer to confer with the health authorities before taking a final decision on resumption of physical courts.
"We also want to get back to the action we used to. But we want to ask the health authorities before that. We are not going to take the opinion of advocates on a health thing," the CJI said, while refusing to consider a plea against the Delhi HC's order for resumption of physical courts.
The court asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for a group of four lawyers against the HC's January 14 notification, to approach the High Court only.
Sibal said that the Registrar General of the High Court has called for a discussion on Wednesday evening, so the matter should be kept pending.
"We trust that the Chief Justice of Delhi HC will do the needful," the bench said, asking Sibal to withdraw the petition.
Senior advocate and former SC Bar Association president Vikas Singh contended that the common man was not getting justice in virtual hearing, being conducted since March, last year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed Singh's contention, saying, "That is not true. Our courts have not denied access to a single citizen."
Earlier on the day, in a separate hearing on Maratha reservations, a five-judge bench presided over by Justice Ashok Bhushan said the court would soon take a call on resuming physical hearings. It posted the matter for consideration after two weeks on February 5 on a request by counsel from different parties.
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