[BREAKING] Delhi High Court, District Courts to revert to full virtual hearing from January 3, 2022

The Delhi High Court has decided to revert to full virtual hearing from January 3, 2022 until January 15, 2022 in view of the spurt in COVID-19 cases and the consequent 'yellow alert' declared by the government in the national capital. .The District Courts in Delhi will also hear cases through virtual mode only during the said period, an office order issued by the High Court on Thursday said."In view of the sudden spurt and spike in Covid-19 cases in the NCT of Delhi and issuance of ‘yellow alert’ in Delhi by GNCTD, as directed by Hon’ble the Chief Justice, it is hereby informed to all concerned that this Court shall, with effect from January 3, 2022, take up the matters, as per the existing arrangement with regard to listing of cases, through virtual mode only. The courts of Registrar and Joint Registrar (Judicial) shall also take up matters through virtual mode only. The District Courts in Delhi shall also, with effect from January 3, 2022, hold courts through virtual mode only," the office order stated.The decision was taken by Chief Justice of Delhi High Court DN Patel after consultation with stakeholders including the members of Administrative and General Supervision Committee of the High Court and after receiving inputs from the president of the Delhi High Court Bar Association and chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi and other senior office bearers. .The video conferencing links of the courts will be made available on the website/ cause-list(s) of the concerned court. The Principal District and Sessions Judges, in consultation with the Director General (Prisons), should make necessary arrangements for extension of remand of undertrial prisoners, the officer order further said."Wherever required, the UTPs may be produced through video-conferencing," it clarified..The arrangement will be reviewed on January 15, 2022."All the stakeholders including court-staff, required to come to the Courts, shall get themselves fully vaccinated and shall strictly adhere to the norms of social-distancing and Covid-19 protocols, guidelines, directions, etc. issued by the Government of India, Government of NCT of Delhi and this Court from time to time," the office order further directed..The Delhi High Court and District Courts have been functioning in a hybrid manner for the past few months - a combination of physical and virtual hearings. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court which has also been functioning in a hybrid manner, has decided to go fully physical from January 3, 2022..[Read Office Order]