COVID-19: SC directs for doing away time limitation for filing appeals

The Supreme Court on Monday directed for relaxing the limitations of the time period for filing appeal in all cases, in view of the situation arising out of coronavirus.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices L Nageswara Rao and Surya Kant took Suo Motu cognisance of the situation arising out of the challenge faced by the country on account of COVID-19 virus and the resultant difficulties, faced by litigants across the country in filing their petitions or applications or suits or appeals.

A period of limitation has been prescribed under the general law of limitation or under special laws for filing appeals.

The bench directed to extend a period of limitation, which was ending on March 15, 2020, till further orders.

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The bench passed the order after taking Suo Motu cognisance of the issue to "obviate any difficulty and to ensure that lawyers or litigants do not have to come physically to file such proceedings in respective courts or tribunals across the country including this court".

The court used its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice and directed for communicating its directions to all High Courts registrar generals.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta asked the court to consider passing orders for deemed extension of limitation.

The order by the top court is third in a series of Suo Motu cognisance of matters. Earlier, the CJI-led bench directed for decongesting jails. On March 18, the court asked the Centre and all states to come out with a uniform policy to ensure that in the efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the schemes for providing nutritional food to the children and nursing and lactating mothers were not adversely affected.