Punjab and Haryana High Court switches to virtual mode of hearing cases

Chandigarh, January 3

Amid apprehensions of a Covid third wave propelled by the Omicron variant, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered virtual mode of hearing cases. The High Court is currently hearing cases both physically and virtually.

An order by the HC this evening made it clear that the decision was taken following a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The orders issued by the Haryana State Disaster Management Authority and by the office of Adviser to the UT Administrator in this regard were also taken into consideration. The entire exercise was aimed at ensuring the safety of judges, advocates, staff and litigants.

The order followed recommendation of a “special committee” in consultation with Additional Solicitor-General, Punjab, and Haryana Advocates General, UT senior standing counsel and public prosecutor. The order specified that hearing of the cases in the High Court would be held through virtual mode/videoconferencing from January 5 and the present system of filing, listing and mentioning of cases would continue as such. The decision to list the freshly registered ordinary cases in January passed vide an earlier order dated December 23, 2021, would be kept in abeyance. A note issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association’s honorary secretary Vishal Aggarwal said the “emergency meeting” of the special committee was also attended by him and Bar president Santokhwinder Singh Grewal Nabha. — TNS

Dist Judges to take call at local level

The HC Chief Justice said District and Sessions Judges in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh would take appropriate measures at their own level regarding hearing of cases through videoconferencing /hybrid /physical mode in consultation with the administrative judges, district administration and district Bar associations.