P&H HC passes order for mentioning of cases and hearing of cases by video conferencing

The Punjab and Haryana High Court passed order for conduct of cases through video conferencing and extended the interim arrangement of mentioning and listing till the period of lockdown.

Keeping in view the prevailing situation arising due to outbreak of COVID-19, the Administrative Committee of Punjab and Haryana, after considering the prevailing lockdown situation has approved that the applicability of order dated 24.03.2020 and all interim/arrangement as to the “mentioning and listing” made applicable by order dated 30.03.2020 and further extended by order dated 03.04.2020 be further made applicable for all working days of this Court during the period 15.04.2020 to 01.05.2020.

Further, it has been decided that all the cases already fixed/listed from 15.04.2020 to 01.05.2020 shall be adjourned by the NIC and all interim orders in the said cases shall extend till the next date of hearing.

It has also been decided that following directions shall be complied with in the cases wherein mentioning has been allowed by the Bench:-

• The counsel/party shall be permitted to e-file the petition on the website of High Court with complete scanned copy of the paper book along with the scanned Vakalatnama/ Power of Attorney and the objections, if any, shall be raised through e-filing module by the office in the said case.
• An undertaking shall be taken from the Counsel to file the original paperbook, complete in all respects, including the requisite documents, affidavit(s) and duly signed Vakalatnama/ Power of Attorney etc. in original, within a week after withdrawal of lockdown.
• The court fees may be allowed to be paid online through e-filing module.
• The affidavit may be attested by the Counsel holding the Power of Attorney and appearing in the case, without requiring it to be attested from Oath Commissioner/ Notary Public.

Further, it has been decided that in view of directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the hearing of the case through video-conferencing be conducted only through approved software or platform.

-India Legal Bureau