<p>The Supreme Court is set to hear on Friday a plea by a lawyers' body for quashing the Standard Operating Procedure issued on March 5 for hybrid hearing without due consultation with it.</p>.<p>A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta would consider the writ petition on March 12.</p>.<p>The SC Bar Association, which contended a written suggestion given by its president Vikas Singh on March 2 for the resumption of physical hearings, has not been considered by the top court. The body maintained that if virtual hearing allowed to continue permanently, it would disturb the level-playing field.</p>.<p><strong>Read | </strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/lawyers-body-moves-sc-against-sops-on-hybrid-hearing-959503.html" target="_blank"><strong>Lawyers body moves SC against SoPs on hybrid hearing</strong></a></p>.<p>"Bar is an equal stakeholder in the dispensation of the justice delivery system and the suggestions given by it ought to have been taken into consideration. There is general feeling in the Bar that for the last few years Registry has been issuing Circulars without taking it into confidence even though such orders issued directly affect the lawyers practicing before this court," their plea said.</p>.<p>In a circular issued on March 5, the Secretary General of the Supreme Court said that Chief Justice of India S A Bobde has issued directions on commencing of hybrid mode of hearing in the apex court from March 15.</p>.<p><b>Also Read | </b><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/supreme-court-to-hear-pil-for-appointment-of-regular-cbi-director-960958.html" target="_blank">Supreme Court to hear PIL for appointment of regular CBI Director</a></strong></p>.<p>While proximity cards remained suspended, entry of lawyers would be allowed through special passes and wearing of masks. Frequent use of hand sanitiser and maintaining physical distancing norms was made mandatory for all entrants into the Supreme Court premises, including into the courtrooms, during this period.</p>.<p>The lawyers' body was also aggrieved with the absence of oral mentioning for urgent hearing and muting and unmuting of lawyers in virtual hearings, which were being conducted for the last one year or so, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>"Judges have a sterile route to and from the court room and there are glass partitions which separate the judges from the lawyers and litigants. So basically it is the lawyers and litigants who would be at some risk if at all so the SoP dated 05.03.2021 ought to have been issued after consulting the Bar, which had already written for the resumption of physical hearing," their plea stated.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court is set to hear on Friday a plea by a lawyers' body for quashing the Standard Operating Procedure issued on March 5 for hybrid hearing without due consultation with it.</p>.<p>A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta would consider the writ petition on March 12.</p>.<p>The SC Bar Association, which contended a written suggestion given by its president Vikas Singh on March 2 for the resumption of physical hearings, has not been considered by the top court. The body maintained that if virtual hearing allowed to continue permanently, it would disturb the level-playing field.</p>.<p><strong>Read | </strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/lawyers-body-moves-sc-against-sops-on-hybrid-hearing-959503.html" target="_blank"><strong>Lawyers body moves SC against SoPs on hybrid hearing</strong></a></p>.<p>"Bar is an equal stakeholder in the dispensation of the justice delivery system and the suggestions given by it ought to have been taken into consideration. There is general feeling in the Bar that for the last few years Registry has been issuing Circulars without taking it into confidence even though such orders issued directly affect the lawyers practicing before this court," their plea said.</p>.<p>In a circular issued on March 5, the Secretary General of the Supreme Court said that Chief Justice of India S A Bobde has issued directions on commencing of hybrid mode of hearing in the apex court from March 15.</p>.<p><b>Also Read | </b><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/supreme-court-to-hear-pil-for-appointment-of-regular-cbi-director-960958.html" target="_blank">Supreme Court to hear PIL for appointment of regular CBI Director</a></strong></p>.<p>While proximity cards remained suspended, entry of lawyers would be allowed through special passes and wearing of masks. Frequent use of hand sanitiser and maintaining physical distancing norms was made mandatory for all entrants into the Supreme Court premises, including into the courtrooms, during this period.</p>.<p>The lawyers' body was also aggrieved with the absence of oral mentioning for urgent hearing and muting and unmuting of lawyers in virtual hearings, which were being conducted for the last one year or so, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>"Judges have a sterile route to and from the court room and there are glass partitions which separate the judges from the lawyers and litigants. So basically it is the lawyers and litigants who would be at some risk if at all so the SoP dated 05.03.2021 ought to have been issued after consulting the Bar, which had already written for the resumption of physical hearing," their plea stated.</p>
