JOIN USCovid-19 surge: Delhi HC to continue virtual hearings till June 4
The Delhi High Court on Saturday said it has decided to continue with existing system of hearing cases via video conference till June 4 in view of the prevailing pandemic.
The Full Court of the Delhi High Court has also decided that its summer vacation would be according to the schedule already notified -- from June 5 to July 2 -- according to an office order issued by Registrar General Manoj Jain.
The order also said that all the pending routine or non-urgent matters listed in the high court between May 17 and June 4 shall be adjourned en-bloc to corresponding dates between July 30 and August 18.
In view of the "alarming rise" in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, the high court on April 23 had said that the existing system of hearings via video conference will continue till May 15.
On April 18, the high court had said that from April 19 onwards it will only take up "extremely urgent matters" filed this year.
Prior to that, on April 8, it had decided that from April 9 to April 23 it will take up matters "through virtual mode only" in view of the rise in Covid-19 cases.
The high court had commenced complete physical functioning from March 15 onwards.
Subsequently, it had said that virtual or hybrid proceedings would be held on the request of lawyers.
Following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March last year, the court was holding proceedings through video conference. Its functioning was restricted to urgent matters from March 16 last year.
Thereafter, from March 25 last year, the functioning of the high court and district courts was further restricted and no physical hearing was being conducted due to the spread of Covid-19.
Subsequently, from September last year a few benches started holding physical courts everyday on a rotation basis.
Some of them also started holding hybrid proceedings, wherein lawyers have the option to attend the hearing via video conference instead of appearing in person.