Set up COVID-19 testing labs in courts for advocates, judicial officers, staff: Delhi HC asks Delhi Govt to decide representation

The Delhi High Court today asked Delhi Government to decide a representation seeking arrangement of COVID-19 testing labs in court premises for advocates, judicial officers and their staff. (Vishesh Verma vs Govt of NCT of Delhi).A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Prateek Jalan asked the Delhi Government to decide the representation in accordance with the law as expeditiously as possible and practicable..The Court was hearing a petition preferred by Advocate Vishesh Verma seeking the same relief i.e. arranging facility in court premises for collection of COVID-19 samples and their testing for the legal fraternity..The Petitioner asserted that after doctors and police, advocates had most public dealings and were at the risk of getting infected with the virus..“..more than people running the chemist shops? Grocery shops?”, Justice Prateek Jalan questioned..The Petitioner pointed out that there had been many instances in the city of judicial officers and court staff being infected with COVID-19 and that the number of infected persons may go up to 5.5 lakh in some time.“..that is not only for lawyers”, the Court remarked..In response to the petition, counsel for Delhi Government, Advocate Jawahar Raja stated that setting up a testing facility was not practicable given the aerosolization in the surrounding with the virus at the time of testing..The Court, thereafter, noted that the representation of the Petitioner on the issue was still pending with the Delhi Government..The petition was thus disposed of with a direction to the Delhi Government to decide the pending representation.