Delhi HC, other courts to resume physical hearings from March 15

After operating virtually for around an year, the Delhi High Court has ordered that all its benches would resume hearing the matters through physical mode with effect from March 15.

All subordinate courts in Delhi will be operating physically too from March 15.

In its notification signed by the Registrar General, the Delhi HC said, “It has been ordered that all Benches of this Court shall hold physical Courts, on a daily basis, with effect from 15.03.2021 and shall continue to take up the matters as per the existing arrangement of listing.”

The order further stated that all the courts of Joint Registrars (Judicial) shall continue to hold courts as per the existing arrangement up to 12.03.2021 and shall hold regular physical courts, on a daily basis, with effect from 15.03.2021.

However, the court has said that in exceptional matters any of the parties could be allowed to appear virtually. 

“It is expected that the Advocates, litigants and other visitors to this Court strictly adhere to the norms of social distancing and all other Covid-19 protocols, guidelines, directions, etc. issued by the Government of ndia, Government Of NCT of Delhi and this Court from time to time,” the order said.

Last month the High Court had allowed 8 benches to hear matter through a physical mode of hearing on a rotational basis, along with a hybrid mode of hearing where one counsel may appear through physical mode and another may appear through video conferencing.

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The notification has come after several requests from the Bar requesting “normalcy”  in the courts in Delhi as the situation is becoming normal with steady decline in Covid-19 cases.