[BREAKING] Jammu and Kashmir High Court lawyers below 45 to get priority COVID vaccine from May 11 after High Court order

Members of Jammu wing of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court Bar Association who are below the age of 45 years, will get COVID vaccine on priority from May 11 after an order to this effect was passed by the Jammu & Kashmir High Court on Thursday. .The Jammu wing of the Bar Association announced by way of a notice that authorities have agreed to start vaccination for lawyers between 18-45 pursuant to High Court's directions. "It is for the information of all the members of the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu who are below the age of 45 that with the kind intervention of Hon'ble Chief Justice of the J&K High Court, the authorities have agreed to start vaccination drives for lawyers in the age group of 18-45 in the High Court complex itself on May 11, 2021, i.e. Tuesday 10 am onwards," the notice said. Members are requested to bring their Aadhaar card, PAN card, and Identity card with them so that registration can be done on the spot, the notice added. .The Srinagar wing of the Bar Association is yet to convey any decision in this regard. .In a significant order passed on Thursday, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court had directed the Government of Jammu &Kashmir (J&K) that High Court lawyers between age group 18-45, who are registered for vaccination, should be provided facility for vaccination in a group or an appropriate slot should be given to them on priority if possible within two weeks from the date of registration (Court on Its own Motion V/s Government of India and Others).As far as lawyers above 45 years are concerned, the government itself undertook to get them registered and vaccinated in group stating that it will not be difficult. The Court then ordered that the exercise in respect of lawyers above 45 years of age should be completed within a week beginning from tomorrow i.e May 6, 2021. ."In regard to vaccination of lawyers between the age group of 18 to 45 they are advised to get themselves registered for vaccination online as per the prescribed procedure and once they are registered they will be provided facility of vaccination in a group again on appropriate dates and a suitable place or otherwise they will be given a slot for vaccination on priority at the earliest, if possible within a period of two weeks from the date of registration," the order said. .Importantly, the Court also said that family members of lawyers who are in need of financial assistance either on account of medical expenditure or due to the death due to COVID-19 may approach the Bar Association with an application..Once the Bar Association forwards the application to the High Court, the Court will speedily consider it and endeavor to provide maximum financial aid out of the welfare fund, the order said. ."In case any family of the lawyer is in need of financial assistance either on account of medical expenditure or due to the death, the family members may approach the Bar Association with an application. On the application being forwarded, the Court would speedily consider it and endeavor to provide maximum financial aid out of the welfare fund. At the same time, government is also directed to consider for making some additional budgetary allocation, as the funds available may not be sufficient to meet the requirement," the order said. .The order was passed by a Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Sanjay Dhar in a public interest litigation case initiated by the Court last year on issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. .The Court had been considering various issues in relation to the case when the second wave of pandemic struck which led to many new issues cropping up. It was then that Amicus Curiae Monika Kohli highlighted the issue of lawyers at both Jammu and Srinagar wings of the High Court getting infected with the pandemic. She also submitted that the families of the lawyers who have died recently due to Covid-19 may be provided some financial assistance. The Court sought Advocate General's response in this regard. The AG submitted that there is no difficulty in getting the lawyers above 45 years of age, registered and vaccinated in a group. But the lawyers between the age group of 18 to 45, as per the procedure provided by the government of India, have to get themselves registered online and once they are registered, they will be vaccinated as per their turn or on the slot available, he said. The Court then proceeded to pass the above directions. .The Court also examined the issue relating to difficulty faced in the supply of oxygen to the patients at home..In this regard, the Court directed the Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education to nominate adequate number of Nodal Officers for each city and to publicize their full details with contact number so that such patients or their relatives may approach them with a proper medical prescription for supply of oxygen.Once they are so approached, they shall take immediate and adequate steps to ensure the supply of oxygen where it is found to be needed without causing any harassment to anyone, the Court added. .The case will be heard again on May 20..[Read Order]