Another Bombay High Court Bench Raises Concerns Over Social Distancing Norms Not Being Followed

On Monday, the division bench assigned to hear criminal matters, raised concerns about over-crowding in the courtroom and directed advocates and litigants awaiting their turn to wait outside the courtroom.

"Do not crowd in the court, or else, we will discharge the entire board and not hear any case," Justice Shinde said warning lawyers that it would not take any case for physical hearing if social distancing norms were not followed in line with the Standard Operating Procedure for physical hearings.

In a circular issued later in the evening, the bench of Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale has directed that only 60 matters be listed for hearing on any given day. These will include fresh and urgent matters. The bench has now also allotted time slots for hearing cases.

Until yesterday, the bench would take up over 100 matters in a day, starting from 10 am.

The circular issued by the Prothonotary and Sr Master, and Registrar Judicial I, on the directions of the bench, states that advocates and parties-in-person must strictly adhere to social distancing norms and co-operate with peons and security personnel.

The HC, at its principal seat in Mumbai, had resumed physical hearings for almost all cases since December 2020.

Last week Justice Prithviraj K Chavan of the HC directed the removal of a matter from the board after the advocate removed his mask to argue, to stress that wearing a face mask all the time is compulsory