The Circular on Tuesday was issued by the High Court of Bombay wherein the Chief Justice along with other Judges of the Bombay High Court unanimously decided that Bombay HC and Courts subordinate to it shall not avail Summer Vacation, if after 3rd May, 2020 and before 7th June, 2020, the normal Court working is restored by lifting the lock-down.
After, the Delhi High Court being the first to suspend the summer vacations and compensate present partial functioning of courts during the summer vacations, the suggestions were made to the Chief Justice of India through letters with respect to the cancellation of summer vacations.
Senior designated advocate Dinesh Kumar Goswami had mentioned in his letter to the Chief Justice of India that; –
“in almost all the potential cities of the country it is neither advisable nor prudent to start the normal working of either that of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, The Hon’ble High Courts or the learned Sub-ordinate Courts of India, as because of all the courts remaining closed / non functioning / partially functioning have left the courts emburdened with heavy load of work in the work flow.”
Thereafter, the National Green Tribunal also notified in order to cancel its summer vacations and work during that period so that the backlog so created could be compensated.
The Bombay High Court mentioned in the circular that the working hours for the Subordinate Courts during the aforesaid period which is after 3rd May, 2020 and before 7th June, 2020, if normal court working starts, will be as in force prior to Covid-19 pandemic.
The court describes the timings of working during the period of Summer vacation if normal Court working is restored which is as follows; –
- Principal seat at Mumbai will work from 10:30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. till 5:00 p.m.
- Nagpur Bench will work from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with recess of half an hour in between.
- Aurangabad Bench will function from 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 2:15 p.m. till 4:30 p.m.
- And at Goa, it will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with recess of half an hour in between.
Lastly, it says that the Senior Judge at Benches can effect suitable changes in the above timings in consultation with their Colleagues and Bar Members to meet the local need.
-India Legal Bureau