E-Paper
35 lawyers of Pune Bar Association die of Covid in three months
Pune: The Pune Bar Association said that 35 lawyers were victims of the deadly Covid-19 contagion during the past three months
Pune: The Pune Bar Association said that 35 lawyers were victims of the deadly Covid-19 contagion during the past three months. The association claimed that the victims were practising lawyers in different courts across the city and demanded that the legal fraternity be vaccinated on top priority as they are frontline workers providing service to citizens during the pandemic.
Advocate Satish Mulik, president, Pune Bar Association said that the demise of 45 lawyers is a huge loss to the family, judiciary and the fraternity. According to the guidelines issued by the Bombay High Court, courts in the state are working in one shift from April 19 onwards, only for urgent matters.
The guidelines were issued against the backdrop of the exponential surge of Covid-19 cases in the state. The guidelines regarding the functioning are applicable for all the subordinate courts in the states of Maharashtra and Goa, including the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The guidelines state that all courts shall continue to function in one shift and take up remand, bail and urgent criminal and civil matters w,e,f. April 19 with judicial working hours of 2 ½ hours. The Principal District and Sessions Judges and Heads of the Establishment may take the decision to entrust the aforesaid work to requisite strength of judicial officers with 50% strength of staff, by rotation.
The Principal District and Sessions Judges and Heads of the Establishment may adjust the working hours of shift having regard to the local situation/condition and all the judicial officers shall remain stationed at their respective places of posting and shall not leave headquarter/station without permission of the Principal District and Sessions Judge and Head of the Establishment. The judicial officers may pronounce judgment/s or pass orders in the matters, wherein the arguments of both the parties are concluded, the directive added.
