Physical hearing on alternate basis resumes in Delhi district courts

All district courts of Delhi on Monday resumed physical hearing on an alternate day basis.

The courts will continue taking up the matters through 'video conferencing' on non-physical days.

Many lawyers practicing in district courts welcomed the decision and said that it will heal the lawyers of trial court who had suffered financially due to limited hearing in the courts.

Bharat Lal Shivhare, a counsel, said that the decision to resume partial physical hearing will help those lawyers, who were suffering financially.

Another young lawyer Mehul Prasad, who is practicing in lower courts, expressed happiness about the resumption of physical hearing and said that many lawyers are not technology-friendly and were unable to argue in virtual hearings.

"This decision will help those lawyers to take up the matter physically and earn money for their livelihood," he stated.

An advocate Suresh Prasad even demanded to resume physical hearing completely.

In an official statement on Thursday, Delhi High Court said, "In continuation of this Court's earlier Office Orders, the Full Court, in view of the decline in the intensity of spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the NCT of Delhi, has been pleased to order that the Principal District & Sessions Judges and Principal Judge, Family Court (HQs) shall prepare a roster of all the subordinate courts of their respective Districts in such a manner that such courts sit physically on an alternate day basis and continue to take up the matters through video conferencing' on non-physical days. Such Roster should be made effective from January 18."

In another statement on Thursday, the Delhi High Court said that 11 benches of the court will hold physical court while the rest will take matters via video-conferencing in view of the decline in the intensity of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the national capital.

The subordinate Courts have also been permitted to record evidence (except in those cases where the accused is in custody) while scrupulously adhering to the norms of social distancing when holding Courts physically.

It has also ordered that adequate arrangement should be made by all the Principal District and Sessions Judges, in coordination with Director General (Prison) and concerned Incharge (Lockup), for production of Under Trial Prisoners before the physical courts from February 1.

Full Court has also ordered that 11 benches of Delhi High Court including two Division Benches, three Single-benches of Civil Side, three Single-benches of Criminal Side and three Original Jurisdiction of Civil shall hold physical Courts with effective from January 18, while the remaining benches will continue to take up the matters through video conferencing as per the roster to be notified on the website of the court.