SC Issues Guidelines For All Entrants Into Lawyers Chamber Block; SCBA & SCAORA To Prepare ‘Odd-Even’ Plan For Accessing Chambers

The Supreme Court has issued a circular with detailed guidelines to be followed by all entrants into the lawyers Chamber Blocks in the Supreme Court premises.

The Court has taken into consideration the suggestions from SCBA and SCAORA in response to the request made by the Supreme Court Registry on the issue and also in view of the growing concerns amid increasing risk of spread of COVID 19.

The Court has issued the following guidelines:

1. The Lawyers Chamber Blocks would follow the timings 10 AM to 4 PM (Monday to Friday, except holidays) and 10 AM to 2 PM (Saturday, except holidays), followed by sanitisation of the Blocks; on Sundays and holidays, the Blocks will remain closed for deep cleaning and sanitization;
2. The Lawyers Chamber Blocks shall have entry only for Learned Members and their staff (on production of Proximity Card or Letter of Authority), who would submit themselves to thermal-screening and duly fill up self-declaration Forms/Daily Registers (containing contact-tracing details), both to be arranged jointly by SCBA & SCAORA;
3. Entrants who are found symptomatic during the thermal screening shall be denied entry into the Blocks Entrants not wearing mask(s) shall be denied entry into the Blocks;
4. To avoid over-crowding inside the Lawyers Chamber Blocks, in terms of the prescribed social-distancing norms, the SCBA and SCAORA may jointly prepare and circulate plan detailing the ‘Odd-Even’ Chamber Numbers of every Block, which would alternately open on Weekdays (Monday to Saturday) indicating there in the maximum number of persons who may access any Chamber at any point of time;
5. It would be mandatory to use stairs while coming downstairs;
6. There will be a single-entry point to every Block fitted with hand-sanitizer machine provided by the Registry, and manned by the SCBA/SCAORA authorized personnel and SCS staff, and;
7. The SCBA/SCAORA may inform the Members and their staff that operation of air-conditioning machines in Chambers may raise health-concerns in the prevalent pandemic-situation.

The Supreme Court will issue necessary communications in this regard shortly.

Read the Circular here;

-India Legal Bureau