Due to the prevailing pandemic disease Covid-19, the Delhi High court has further suspended the functioning of all the subordinate and district courts of Delhi till May 31st in the fourth phase of lockdown. Previously, the Delhi high court had suspended the functioning till May 23rd but further increase in the number of cases, they have decided to extend the date keeping in mind the safety of all the people who are working in the subordinate and district courts. Also, they further declared that extension of the suspension news of the functioning of the court will be soon uploaded on the District Court website. For the time being, the chambers of the lawyers in the high court will remain open in two shifts with certain guidelines which everybody has to follow.
Regarding the extension of the suspension of the district and the subordinate court was taken by the administrative and General Supervision Committee of the High Court on 21st May’2020. Also, further, they have decided that from 22nd may’2020 the division and single-judge bench of the high court have to take up all the matters which is of utmost important and quite urgent through videoconferencing. During the lockdown period because of prevailing COVID-19, highly urgent matter will be looked after two division benches and ten single benches. They have also declared to the judges of the high court that those matters which are of extreme level should be resolve through videoconferencing while sitting at their home.
Regarding those cases which have already reached the stage of the final arguments should be looked after the roster benches and those matters in which approval have been received from both the parties for the disposal of the matters should be resolved as soon as possible after receiving the recent submissions. Those cases which have been considered as non-urgent should be resolved after resuming of the regular hearings. Regarding the sorting of the matters through video conferencing by the high court will remain to continue as before until the further notice. Also, it has been stated that the link would be available from 9.00 am to 10.30 am on all working days for further quicken the resolving of the listed issues and hearing.
All those matters which have been already listed in the subordinate courts during this prevailing period would be looked after by the respective courts and information related to this would be very soon uploaded on the website of the district court so that people should be aware of their cases. All these decisions are taken so that pandemic disease should not affect the health of various people who are working in the subordinate and district courts. Also, to decrease the number of cases, the Delhi high court has taken up such decision.
According to the data of the government, this existing pandemic virus has so far infected approximately 37000 people and not to increase the number of cases, the high court has restricted the functioning of the district and the subordinate courts in the amidst of the Covid-19. Moreover, as per the report of the administrative team, they have declared that the progress of hearing on the urgent matters in the High court along with all the courts in Delhi has already dealt with more than 11400 urgent matters after the announcement of the lockdown period.
It has been said earlier, the video-conferencing of resolving the urgent cases was started with only one division branch along with one single judge but later on, it got increased to two divisions including six single benches on all working days and in future the court might further increase the number of benches depending on the workload.
