3,787 cases taken up for hearing by Delhi HC through video conferencing
Jun 12, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 12 : The Delhi High Court has observed that video conferencing hearing is new to both the court and counsel, which throws a fresh challenge to High Court, which has conducted 3,787 virtual hearing while subordinate courts have heard 14,482 matters through video conferencing.
"There is no doubt that the procedure of hearing matters through video conferencing is new to both, the court and the learned counsel and each day throws a new challenge but that is not to say that the High Court and the Subordinate Courts have not risen to the occasion," a Division Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and S. Prasad said in June 10's order.
The registry of the High Court of Delhi informed the bench that during the lockdown period, 3,787 cases have been taken up for hearing by the High Court through video conferencing.
Besides remand matters, the subordinate Courts have taken up 23,339 matters through physical hearing and 14,482 matters through video conferencing. Thus, a total of 41,608 matters have been taken up by the Delhi High Court and the Subordinate Courts during the lockdown period, till June 9, the registry informed.
As for the contention of the petitioner that no serious efforts have been made by the High Court on the administrative side to resume normal functioning of the Courts during the lockdown period, the registry stated that not less than 30 Administrative Orders have been issued during this period to streamline hearing of matters by the High Court and the Subordinate Courts.
Abhijat, Secretary of the Delhi High Court Bar Association submitted that the issue relating to creation of adequate facilities for the District Courts to hear matters through video conferencing is already a subject matter, which is pending consideration.
Thereafter the petitioner and advocate SB Tripathi did not wish to press the present petition and seek leave to withdraw the same and thus his petition was disposed of by the bench.
Tripathi has sought quashing of the order dated May 29, issued by the High Court of Delhi, whereby judicial work of the High Court and the Subordinate Courts has been suspended till June 14 and sought directions that electronic filing and hearing of routine matters be permitted through video conferencing, both in the High Court and the subordinate courts.
"It is ironical that on the one hand, the petitioner has shown such an anxiety that not just urgent matters, even routine matters ought to be taken up during the period of the lockdown and on the other hand, it has taken him two rounds of hearing to link up in this matter," the court noted in its order after repeated efforts made by the petitioner to link up had failed and the petitioner could join the hearing after much struggle.
Sometimes, the petitioner's camera was directed towards the ceiling fan and at other times, at the window behind him.
