In-person hearings to continue on experimental basis: Bombay High Court

In-person hearings at high court as well as subordinate courts in Maharashtra were suspended after the coronavirus outbreak

Physical hearings which resumed in courts in Maharashtra this week have been going on smoothly and would continue till January on an experimental basis, the Bombay High Court said on Friday.

A `notice' or statement issued by the high court's Registrar General S G Dige said Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and other senior judges considered the demand by several lawyers' bodies that virtual hearings should continue in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

But the judges thought that the resumption of in-person hearings was going well, the statement said.

"At an informal gathering held on December 4, the judges were of the view that the experiment to open up more courts for physical hearing while maintaining the prescribed Covid norms.... has not shown any adverse results," the statement said.

"On the contrary, physical hearings have been smooth and seamless, and beneficial not only for the Judges but also for the members of the Bar. Also, loss of precious judicial hours, at times, while hearings were conducted through virtual mode due to lack of proper connectivity has been obviated," it added.

The judges unanimously favoured continuation of physical hearings till January 8 on an experimental basis, the registrar general said.

On December 3, Chief Justice Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni went around all courtrooms in the HC and did not find any overcrowding as alleged by some lawyers' organisations, Dige noted.

In-person hearings at high court as well as subordinate courts in Maharashtra were suspended after the outbreak of coronavirus.