Supreme Court to Resume Physical Hearings on THESE Days From Next Week as COVID Cases Decline

It will follow the hybrid model for the rest of the days, the top court said in an order.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will resume physical hearings twice a week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting next week, following a dip in Covid cases in Delhi, reported the NDTV. It will follow the hybrid model for the rest of the days, the top court said in an order. Last week, the Supreme Court Bar Association wrote to Chief Justice NV Ramana urging him to resume physical hearings stating that the Covid situation in the country has been in control in the last two weeks.

In its letter to Chief Justice Ramana, the bar body said that the positivity rate in the national capital has come down to below four per cent and the city government has decided to reopen schools, colleges and gym. The hearing in open court is both the convention and constitutional requirement, the bar body told the Supreme Court, seeking a return to physical hearings as it was during the pre-Covid days.

According to the SOPs issued in October last year, the virtual hearings were held only on miscellaneous days, Mondays and Fridays, while matters listed for hearing on Wednesdays and Thursdays required physical presence of the lawyers in the courtrooms. On Tuesday, the cases were heard in physical mode, however, on prior application by the advocate-on-record for the party, the appearance through video mode was facilitated. After the increase in Covid cases in the beginning of January this year, the SC had suspended the October SOP.