New Delhi India January 15 ANI A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the circular issued by the Bombay High Court reducing its working hours to three hours a day in view of COVID 19.
The plea filed by activist Ghanshyam Upadhyay stated that the principal bench of the High Court has been functioning only for namesake causing hardships to the litigants and advocates.
The High Court will function from January 11 to 28 without a lunch break from Monday to Friday, according to the SOP issued on January 10, 2022.
It stated that courts can be made functional through a virtual hearing without reducing the working hours.
The plea said that the fundamental rights of citizens are being jeopardised and violated and it was a matter of great concern and public importance.
The risk is enviable if all courts are made functional for three hours a day, because the reason seems to reduce the risk for all concerned infected with new variants, it has been forgotten, it added.
The plea was seeking direction to the Bombay High Court to form guidelines to ensure the virtual functioning of all courts in the State. It also stated that virtual hearings can increase the disposal rate of cases and are the future of court proceedings.
Another SOP has directed that subordinate courts in Mumbai, Pune, Raigad and Alibaug will function from January 3 with 50 per cent of staff on rotation and hearing urgent matters through physical hearing.
The matters for recording evidence and hearing arguments were directed to be taken through the virtual platform.
The plea claimed that there were no requisite infrastructures in these courts for hearing matters through the virtual platforms.