Bombay High Court to shift to hybrid mode from Tuesday – Hindustan Times

Mumbai: The Bombay high court (HC) administration on Friday decided to shift to a “hybrid” mode of hearing from January 4, 2022, in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra.

The decision will however, apply only to the principal seat of the court, in Mumbai, and for four days — till January 7 — after which the court administration will review the situation.

n the hybrid mode, while the hearings will also take place virtually, lawyers will be permitted to argue their cases in person before the judge in the courtroom. However, litigants will be only allowed to enter the premises of the court if they are ordered to remain present. Physical mentioning of matters for urgent hearing will not be permitted. Lawyers will have to send praecipes (an order requesting a writ or a legal document) for urgent hearing of matters by email only.

Court officials said that the HC benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Goa will continue to hear matters in physical mode, as the prevalence of Covid cases is higher in Mumbai than the other cities.

The high court judges at the principal seat in Mumbai will hear matters physically on Monday, and will shift to hybrid mode on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after the administrative committee of the high court judges on Friday met the office bearers of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa and representatives of various bar associations, including the Advocates Association of Western India, Bombay Bar Association and the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. Senior health officers from the Directorate of Health Services and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation were also present for the meeting.

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is expected to be made available on the high court website on Saturday.

The administrative committee is expected to review the situation at the end of the next week and make a decision with respect to the lower judiciary.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday decided to shift to the virtual system of hearings from January 3 in view of the yellow alert declared by the government in the national capital.