Delhi High Court Directs Hybrid Hearing Facilities In All District Consumer Commissions Within Eight Weeks

The Delhi High Court has recently directed the authorities to ensure that video conferencing facilities for hybrid hearings are made functional in all District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions across the national capital within eight weeks.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia also ordered that the daily cause list published by all the ten District Commissions shall provide the link for video conferencing facility. The Court was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate S.B. Tripathi seeking resumption of virtual hearing facilities and improvement of infrastructure in consumer forums.Tripathi contended that while video conferencing facilities were operational during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were subsequently discontinued in all ten District Commissions. He highlighted that hybrid hearings continue in District Courts, the State Commission, the High Court, and even the Supreme Court, but not in District Consumer Commissions.It was argued that the absence of virtual hearing facilities causes inconvenience to advocates and litigants, especially since the commissions are located at different places across Delhi, making it difficult to attend multiple matters on the same day.In an order passed on February 24, the Bench noted that the cause lists filed by Tripathi showed that four out of ten District Commissions are already using the facility of video conferencing for hearings. As regards the video conferencing facility to be made available in the remaining six District Commissions, the Court ordered:“….Respondents shall take steps to ensure that the video conferencing facility for hybrid hearings is made functional in all the remaining six District Commissions i.e. West District, New Delhi District, North-West District, Central District, East District and South District and the daily cause list being published by all ten District Commissions shall provide the link for video conferencing within a period of eight weeks.”Accordingly, the Court disposed of the PIL. Title: SB TRIPATHI v. UNION OF INDIA & ORSClick here to read order

Delhi High Court Directs Hybrid Hearing Facilities In All District Consumer Commissions Within Eight Weeks

Nupur Thapliyal

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