Delhi HC says weight in claim for declaring persons associated with judicial functioning as frontline workers to receive COVID-19 vaccination

By Amiya Kumar Kushwaha
New Delhi [India], March 4 : Taking suo-motu cognisance of demand for inclusion of all associated with judicial functioning as frontline workers, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Secretary, Principal Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.
"There is weight in a claim made by Bar Council of Delhi for declaring all associated with judicial functioning including Judges, Court Staff and lawyers as frontline workers so they could receive COVID-19 vaccination on priority, without limitations of age/physical condition," the Delhi HC said.
A Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli took this decision while initiating a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) of its own.
The court took this decision after receiving communication by Ramesh Gupta, Chairman, Bar Council of Delhi.
The court listed the matter for today for further hearing.
The Chairman, Bar Council of Delhi has sent a communication to the Chief Justice on March 1 requesting that appropriate directions be issued to the concerned authorities to make available necessary infrastructure on Court premises.
The Full Court of the Delhi High Court has already taken a decision to re-open the full-fledged physical functioning of the Delhi High Court and all Courts subordinate to it from Monday (March 15).
The Court said that there is a clear pattern emerging that the number of COVID-19 positive cases increase with greater intermingling and congregation of people.
The HC observed that the need of the hour is to vaccinate the masses, in view of the raging pandemic, on a war footing so as to secure the life and health of all those who step out of their homes to attend to their avocations and professions.
Courts, by their very nature, are places which have very high density congregations of people on a daily basis. Thousands of cases are listed in any given court complex every day. Apart from judges, the court staff and advocates, a large number of litigants visit Courts in which their cases are listed, on a daily basis, the Delhi High Court said in its order.
In fact, the number of persons visiting a Court complex -Tiz Hazari Courts on any given day, may well be in excess of the number of persons visiting and thronging the hospital for treatment of patients, the Court also noted.