Bombay HC will not have summer vacation if lockdown lifted on May 3

In light of the curtailed working of the courts due to the Covid-19 lockdown and to cover up for lost time, the Bombay high court administration and registry on

In light of the curtailed working of the courts due to the Covid-19 lockdown and to cover up for lost time, the Bombay high court administration and registry on Tuesday decided not to avail the one-month summer vacation period starting May 7 if the lockdown is lifted. According to officials, in the event of the vacations being cancelled all the benches of the high court at Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangabad will work an additional 30 minutes and will sit from 10.30 am till 5 pm. During normal course the courts used to convene at 11 am.

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Confirming the decision taken by the court administration and registry, SB Agarwal, registrar general, said that apart from the HC, all subordinate courts including district courts would also have to cancel their vacations and work on regular basis if the lockdown is lifted on May 3.

Agarwal however added that in the event of the lockdown being extended, the current arrangement of hearing urgent matters on select dates between 12 noon and 2 pm could continue through video conferencing.

Earlier on April 16, following the extension of the Covid-19 lockdown period which was extended from April 14 to May 3, the HC administration had said that the current arrangement of hearing only extremely urgent matters through video conferencing from 12 noon to 2 pm on stipulated dates would continue till May 5. The HC had said that it would take a review of the situation on May 4 and said that all interim orders and arrangements passed by it and its subordinate courts would be in force till June 15.