E-Paper
Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana calls for more courts, allowing physical appearance
The functioning of the high court and trial courts have been restricted since March amid the Covid-19 pandemic and cases are being taken up through video-conferencing
The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) has demanded that besides hearing by video conferencing, physical appearance also be started in the high court and lower courts in both states and Chandigarh.
A resolution in this regard was sent by BCPH to high court.
BCPH is a statutory body of lawyers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with atleast 1 lakh members.
The functioning of the high court and trial courts have been restricted since March amid the Covid-19 pandemic and cases are being taken up through video-conferencing.
The BCPH underlined that virtual courts have not been able to cope up with the pressure of cases to be filed and lawyers are also finding it difficult to present their cases properly.
It said majority of the common advocates are facing great financial constraints due to the lockdown. BCPH also demanded that the government should allocate more funds to improve preventive infrastructure in courts to battle Covid-19.
They want that from June 8, 20 more physical courts be set up in high court and similar steps be taken in lower courts. Currently, a dozen odd benches are hearing cases through video conferencing in the HC.
District Bar Association voices similar sentiments
The District Bar Association of Chandigarh on Wednesday wrote to the district and sessions Judge, NK Nanda, with respect to streamlining filing of cases and physical appearance of lawyers in court amid the Covid-19 lockdown.
In the letter, DBA president wrote, “In the times of unprecedented crisis when Covid-19 has brought the world to a standstill, certain measures can be taken by our judicial system to kick start the process of filing and hearing cases of extreme exigency.”
As a standard operating procedure, he suggested, “A team of paramedical staff should be deployed at entry points of court, with sanitisers, masks, hand wash, thermal scanners etc and there should be just one entry point.”
