The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has decided to resume physical hearing from July 5. Physical Hearing will resumes in the District and Subordinate Courts and Tribunals in UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh as well.
The notification states that “in modification of the previous orders/circulars on the subject issued by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir from time to time, the physical hearing of the cases in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the District and Subordinate Courts and Tribunals in UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh shall resume with effect from 05.07.2021 till then the High Court order No. 259 of 202 1/RG dated 26.04.202 1, read with order No. 332 of 202 1/RG dated 25 .05.2021, is extended”.
The Court allows Physical Hearing by keeping in view the latest SOPs of the Government of India and Government of UT of Jammu & Kashmir relating to relaxation in restrictions regarding containment of COVID- 19 and also the considerable decline in daily number of COVID- 19 cases.
The Court issues following protocol that shall be observed:
- All latest SOPs of the Central and UT Government regarding gathering at public places shall be followed in letter and spirit.
- With effect from 05.07.2021, advocates shall be allowed entry into the Court premises. However, advocates shall themselves restrict their entry in a manner that only those advocates enter the Court building on a given day whose cases are listed on that day before any of the Bench/Court.
- On entry into the Court building, advocates shall strictly maintain the social distancing SOPs while waiting for hearing of their cases. They shall not huddle either in the well or in the gallery outside the Court Rooms. As and when their cases are finished they shall make an endeavour to leave the court premises at once.
- Only those advocates, staff members and any other stake holder will be permitted entry in the court premises who have been vaccinated.
- Entry of Clerks and Agents of the advocates into the Court rooms shall continue to be prohibited for the time being.
- Entry of witness(s) and accused person(s) shall be permitted in District and Subordinate Courts subject to strict compliance of latest SOPs pertaining to the containment of Covid- 19 and vaccination.
- For the time being, advocates are free to file their cases, applications etc., either physically or by virtual mode.
- The entry of advocates in the office rooms/branches of the High Court Registry/Courts shall continue to be prohibited.
- For the time being issuance of cause list of the High Court in hard/printed form shall continue to be suspended and shall be issued in the soft form and made available on the official website of the High Court.
- The aforesaid relaxation of entry into the Court premises shall be only 09.30 am till 05.00 pm on each working day so as to enable the sanitizing teams assigned for the purpose to carry out sanitization of the premises according to the standing procedures in that behalf.
- The concerned Registrars Judicial/PDJs shall ensure complete sanitization of Court Buildings on every weekend.
- This protocol will be reviewed periodically depending upon the trend of spread of COVID- 19 infection.
Picture Source :
