Delhi HC, District courts resume physical hearings from today

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court and the seven district courts completely resume the physical hearings on Monday (November 22, 2021).

However, the Court has permitted the hybrid or video conferencing hearing to those where a request to such effect is made by any of the parties or their counsel.

The Court last week has also issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and regulations relating to entry in the court blocks for attending physical hearings and virtual conferencing hearings.

According to the SOP, the entry into the court block, for the purposes of attending physical hearings and VC hearings shall stand restricted to only one advocate accompanied by one junior intern per party whose `Vakalatnama` is on record or who has been duly authorized by such advocate to appear and whose case is listed for hearing that day. The senior Counsel engaged by any such advocate.

The registered clerk only for the limited purpose of delivering heavy and bulky case files of such advocates at the designated point. Such clerk shall leave the court block and shall enter again only to recollect the same.

The standing or nominated counsel for any of the party, entity whose cases are listed for physical hearing that day.Party-in-person, where such party is pursuing the case himself or herself without any legal assistance.

According to SOP, no entry in the court blocks shall be permitted to the relative of any party-in-person litigant and non-registered clerks.

The Delhi High Court on August 31, resumed limited physical hearings after a gap of nearly five months when the second wave of COVID-19 hits the national capital.

After the second wave strikes the national capital, the Delhi High Court on April 8, 2021, suspended its physical hearing till April 23 which was later extended from time to time.

Earlier on August 24, physical hearings in the District courts in Delhi have resumed in a graded manner.

The Delhi High Court has suspended its functioning on March 23, 2020, followed by the government decision to impose lockdown in wake of containing COVID-19.

However, the high court continue to take up urgent matters through video conferencing and later resumed physical hearing of limited benches.