The high court will start holding physical hearings from September 1 in five benches on a rotational basis.

 

"It has further been ordered that five Benches of this Court, on rotational basis, shall start holding physical Courts w.e.f. 01.09.2020 while the remaining benches shall continue to take up matters through video conferencing," HC's Registrar General Manoj Jain said in a statement.

 

As per the roster, the division bench headed by Chief Justice D.N. Patel would be holding a physical hearing on September 1 and September 2.

 

According to the statement, the five Benches will take up matters as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). The courts of Registrars and Joint Registrars shall continue to take up matters through video conferencing, where the files are already scanned. The evidence be recorded in ex-parte and uncontested matters where the same is required to be tendered by way of affidavits.

 

All the pending matters listed before the court from September 1 to 30 would be adjourned.

 

According to the SOPs, people displaying symptoms of flu, fever, cough etc. will not be permitted entry inside the court complex.

 

The SOPs also advise strict adherence of the mandatory norms including wearing of masks, undergoing thermal scanning and strict social distancing within the court complex by all concerned who are permitted to enter the court building and courtrooms.

 

"IT Branch is developing e-solution of sending QR code to the concerned Advocate/litigant through SMS/email so that they are permitted physical access on any given day through scanning of such QR Code. Till the time such e-solution is developed, copy of the cause list shall be available at the designated counter near the entry point of the particular court block.

 

"The designated court staff shall note the name and mobile number of the concerned Advocate/litigant/Registered Clerk against the relevant item number(s) of the cause list. Once entry is permitted to any Advocate for any such case, no other Advocate, for the same case and for the same party, shall be permitted to enter inside the court block," the statement said.