Delhi judges will make up for Covid-19 lockdown, work through their summer vacation

The high court was scheduled to close for the summer break from 1 June to 30 June. The lower courts were to close on 8 June and reopen along with the high court on 30 June. During this period, only a few vacation benches of the high court assemble to hear important matters.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday decided to work through their summer vacation in June to compensate for the loss of court working hours and to ensure restoration of normalcy in the functioning of the courts at the earliest. The decision would apply to the subordinate courts in the national capital also.

Elaborating on their decision to work in June, he Delhi High Court judges said that they are mindful and cognisant of the difficulties faced by litigants on the account of lockdown and consequent suspension of functioning of the courts. (File Photo)

The high court was scheduled to close for the summer break from 1 June to 30 June. The lower courts were to close on 8 June and reopen along with the high court on 30 June. During this period, only a few vacation benches of the high court assemble to hear important matters.

The high court had earlier declared the duration of the ongoing lockdown as a vacation for the court.

In a full court reference, the Delhi High Court judges said that they are mindful and cognisant of the difficulties faced by litigants on the account of lockdown and consequent suspension of functioning of the courts.

“Since during the period of suspension of work, the hearing is limited to the matters of extremely urgent nature or urgent nature, there is negligible fresh filing of cases, lesser disposal and corresponding escalation in arrears, resulting in extreme hardship to litigants.

“In view of the severe hardship faced by the litigants due to the prevailing pandemic of Covid-19 that has impaired the functioning of the courts, it has been unanimously resolved by the full court that to make up for the loss of court working hours and to ensure restoration of normalcy in the functioning of the courts at the earliest......, declaring the period of the Summer vacations for this Court and the Courts subordinate thereto in the month of June 2020, this Court and courts subordinate thereto shall continue functioning during the entire month of June i.e. from June 1 to June 30,” the resolution read.