NEW DELHI, MARCH 25
The Supreme Court will hold two virtual courts on Wednesday through video-conferencing on the “Vidyo” app to hear certain urgent matters.
The cause list for March 25, which has been uploaded on the apex court’s website, showed that two benches of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant and Justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose will take up these matters.
No court-rooms are specified in the list, which means judges will be hearing 15 matters listed in the cause list from their respective chambers or offices.
The advocates, appearing in these matters, have been asked to address the court through video conferencing mode on personal desktop/laptop or mobile phone or from mediation centre of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) as directed in the circular of March 23.
The cause list also warned the advocates-on-record not to share video-conferencing links with anybody as it will deactivate the original link shared with the advocate on his e-mail.
It said that only one link will be activated for video conferencing.
The top court on March 23 had held a successful trial of its functioning through video-conferencing and three matters were heard virtually in which judges sat in the courtroom while advocates argued from a different spot in the apex court.
In a circular issued on March 23, the apex court had resorted to almost lockdown like the situation to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and suspended the entry of advocates and other staff into the high-security zone based on their proximity cards, till further orders.
The top court without specifying any date had said that only one or two courts will sit to take up extremely urgent matters through video-conferencing by an app, which will be installed on the desktop, laptop or mobile phones.
The top court had also directed that the lawyers’ chamber and offices will be closed and advised that advocates should not attend office as no sanitation staff will be allowed inside.
