The Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday indefinitely suspended physical hearing of cases from April 19 in view of the surge in covid-19 cases. Chief Justice RS Jha has also tested positive for Covid-19, an official said adding that his condition is stable.
Limited physical hearing of cases had started on February 8. A high court official said that the decision to suspend physical hearings was taken after a meeting between the high court administration and top law officers of both the states and the Centre, and executive members of the Bar association. Between March 2020 and February 8, the high court was hearing cases through virtual hearings and it resumed limited physical hearing in February on the Bar body’s demand.
In another development, the high court has asked sessions judges in both the states and Chandigarh to assess prevailing local conditions, including the intensity of spread of covid-19 in their areas of jurisdiction, and accordingly decide at their own level on whether to hear cases through the physical or virtual mode. It emphasised that guidelines from the state governments and the Centre should be strictly followed.