Calcutta HC To Increase Workload; Benches Notified [Read Notification]

It has been intimated that the parties/ their counsels need not file Urgency applications any longer and all matters will be placed before the relevant Benches in chronological order.

In other words, all matters filed during the Covid time and which have not been disposed of will start appearing before the relevant Benches unless the returnable date has not been reached.

Benches

As far as the High Court is concerned, it is intimated that three Division Benches together with the Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice shall continue functioning, as at present.

Further, there shall be four regular Single Benches out of which one shall take up all Original Side and Appellate Side, except writ petitions.

Another Single Bench shall take up all criminal matters, other than writ matters.

The two remaining Single Benches shall take up all other matters, including writ petitions.

In addition, two other Single Benches shall continue sitting three days a week to take up writ petitions. One of these Benches could exclusively take up writ petitions filed during the Covid time which are ready for hearing or had been made returnable but were not taken up for further hearing.

In the event the upgraded internet connectivity is available, a further Single Bench may be added.

The constitution of Benches may be read here.

Final Hearings

In final hearing matters, both before the Division Bench and the Single Bench, physical hearing will be permissible or the hybrid mode may be adopted as long as the number of lawyers in court in a particular matter does not exceed six or seven at any given point of time.

However, the virtual mode will continue to be the preferred mode, particularly at the motion and the interim stage.

Other

Matters pertaining to the Circuit Bench at Port Blair shall continue on Wednesdays, as at present.

Court staff that does not report for their duties, assigned on a roster basis, shall be marked absent and be deemed to be on leave.

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