[BREAKING] Supreme Court to revert to physical hearings on Wednesdays and Thursdays from October 20

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has decided that all cases listed on Wednesday and Thursday (non-miscellaneous days) will compulsorily require physical presence of the lawyers and will be heard only in court rooms, with effect from October 20..A modified Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to that effect was issued by the top court on Thursday."In view of the encouraging response from the Bar and with a view to further facilitate hearing through physical mode, all the matters listed on Wednesday and Thursday, as non-miscellaneous days, would be heard only in physical presence of the counsels/parties in court-rooms," the SOP said.In a matter listed for hearing through physical mode, one advocate-on-record (AOR) or his nominee, one arguing counsel and one junior counsel per party will be allowed entry into the court-room. One registered Clerk per party, as may be chosen by the AOR, shall be allowed to carry paper books/journals etc. up to the court-rooms.This would be the first time since March 2020, that the Supreme Court is insisting on physical presence of lawyers to hear cases, a sure sign of the top court' s plan to slowly open up to physical hearing.After the Court shifted to virtual hearing in March last year due to COVID-19, lawyers were being provided the opportunity to appear physically or through video conference..The SOP also said that unless and otherwise directed by the Court/Bench, all matters, irrespective of their nature, listed on miscellaneous days (Mondays and Fridays) shall continue to be heard through video/tele-conferencing mode till further orders.All the matters listed on Tuesday, as a non-miscellaneous day, would also be heard in physical mode, however, on prior application by the AOR for the party, appearance through video/tele-conferencing mode will be facilitated. The AOR desirous of availing such facility of video linkage for hearing on Tuesday, as a non-miscellaneous day, shall have to apply for the same by 1.00 p.m. on the previous working day, on email id vc.request@sci.nic.in..The SOP also said that if a Bench is of the view that in a particular matter listed on non-miscellaneous days, the number of counsel are more than the working capacity of the court-room, as per Covid-19 norms, the registry will facilitate hearing of such matters through video/ teleconferencing/ hybrid mode..[Read SOP]