The Advocates practicing at Nagpur made a representation to Chief Justice Dipankar Datta of the Bombay High Court, to restore the physical and regular working at the Nagpur Bench of the High Court and Subordinate Courts in Nagpur.
The Advocates mentions their concern that due to the restrictions imposed to control covid-19 pandemic situation, the physical and regular working of the courts at Nagpur was stop from March 2020 till 3rd week of November 2020 and thereafter again from 3rd week of March 2021 till today. Since March 2020 i.e. since last about 16 months the physical and regular working could be effectively held only for a period of about three months.
After having meeting with delegation, Chief Justice Dipankar Datta assured them that the points raised in their representation to facilitate physical working at Nagpur will be positively considered when the administrative committee meeting is conducted at the Principal Seat of the High Court.
The Key Points of the Representation are:
- The present situation in Nagpur with declining cases is far more promising and saved than the one in which the physical hearing was earlier resumed in January and February 2021 .
- More than 95% of practicing lawyers, their office staff and the staff working with courts use their private vehicle and are not dependent upon public transport.
- The premises of the High Court at Nagpur as well as subordinate courts have advantage of adequate bathrooms and other facilities and open common spaces and corridor.
- Virtual hearing is not substitute to physical hearing because of its known limitation.
- The maximum number of lawyers, clerks and stakeholders are now vaccinated.
The advocates also indicated that after resuming physical and regular verb if at any point of time it is noticed that physical working is becoming reason for the spread of endemic and otherwise found not feasible, we can immediately go back to virtual mode.
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