The Madras High Court on Friday issued a notification whereby it has resolved to hear cases through video conferencing only and the functioning is hereby in a limited staggered manner for the time being till 31st of May, 2020, which will continue till the lockdown is lifted or relaxed.
The notification read as, it is reported that there is an increase in the number of detected cases of Coronavirus and a large number of Districts of the State are within red-zones, including the Districts of Chennai and Madurai, where the Principal Seat and the Bench of the High Court are situate. The spread may gain higher proportions in the coming week of May 2020. In between, the State Government also intensified the lockdown from 26.4.2020 to 29.4.2020 in several Corporations, including the Municipal Corporation of Chennai and Madurai. The state of uncertainty with regard to either the lifting of the lockdown or staggered functioning is yet to be declared by the State Government as well as by the Central Government.
It may not be appropriate to resume regular and normal functioning as that may invite the possibility of congregation of lawyers and litigants, and violation of physical distancing norms keeping in view the large number of lawyers practising in the High Court, together with their staff.In order to ensure physical distancing norms, threats of spread of the endemic by physical contact, and to avoid any complications arising there from, the system of hearing of matters only through remote video conferencing shall be continued, read the notification.
The High Court on considering the various suggestions that have been made by the State Bar Council; the respective Bar Associations of the High Court, whose opinions have been received; the opinion of the Advocate General, and the views of certain other District Bar Associations and individual lawyers, including Senior Advocates for regular functioning in the month of May, 2020 has been modified to the effect that instead of the regular functioning of Courts, the High Court at Principal Seat will function through video-conferencing only, with the Hon’ble Judges from their residences. This staggered functioning is conducted with the strength of Two Division Benches and Ten Single Judges.
“The Chief Justice having taken notice of the notification dated 1st of May, 2020 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has directed that the judicial functioning of the High Court, both at Principal Seat and at Madurai Bench, shall be conducted strictly through video-conferencing only and the e-filing / e-mail filing system, as was being done before subject to all the prescriptions additionally provided in the aforesaid Notification of the Ministry of Home Affairs restricting movement in Containment Areas”, said the notification.
-India Legal Bureau