Coronavirus lockdown: Calcutta High Court to hear only urgent matters via video conferencing

In view of the nationwide lockdown in view of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, the Calcutta High Court has decided to hear extreme urgent matters via video-conferencing through skype conference call..As per the Notice issued by the High Court, Advocate-on-Record/Party-in person is first required to file a scanned copy of urgent petition/application and documents, alongwith Form-A or Form-B, whichever is necessary, through an email to 'rghc_cal@rediffmail.com’. .AOR/Party-in-Person are requested not to send such e-mails to any other e-mail ids..The email must contain a prayer for exemption from filing duly affirmed affidavit with an undertaking that deficit court fees will be paid within 48 hours of opening the High Court, after attaining normalcy..Thereafter, the AOR/Party-in-person is required to separately email a signed and verified application containing a synopsis of extreme urgency, latest by 2:00 pm on the day preceeding the day of sitting of the High Court's Benches, subject to the permission to do otherwise. .The application must, inter-alia contain:- the case-details;- Bench-details;- contact details of the AOR/party in-person including e-mail id etc. .The AOR/Party-in-person are also requested to mention their ‘Skype’ contact details. .The application must also contain a separate paragraph giving consent that the matter may be taken up through the Video-Conferencing mode, along with the clarification as to whether he/she would link through own desktop/laptop/mobile or would prefer to avail such facility in the High Court premises. .Upon approval of the urgency by the Presiding Judge of the Bench(es), the case(s) would be enlisted in the cause-list to be published on the High Court website..An intimation regarding time of sitting of the Bench(es) and approximate time of the hearing of their case(s) shall also be sent to the concerned AOR/Party-in-Person on the Mobile Number and e-mail as mentioned in the application..If the Advocate/Party-in-Person is unable to connect through video-conferencing due to non-availability of hardware/network on any given date, the matter would be listed on the next date and the AOR/Party-in-Person may appear through Video-Conferencing facility available in the High Court premises. .Since the prevailing situation demands that the persons be discouraged from undertaking any kind of travel, AORs/Parties-in-persons are advised to refrain from exercising the option of participating in the hearing through video-conferencing facility available at the High Court. .During this period, the Registry would keep only those offices open, with skeletal staff, which may be required to facilitate the holding of the Court for extreme urgent cases. .Read the Notice: