Resumption Of Physical Hearings In Supreme Court : Will Take Collective Decision With Judges After Holi, Says CJI Ramana

"About the issue of re-opening of courts, I've to take a collective decision with all brothers and sister judges. Some of them aren't attending court tomorrow. After reopening we'll take a decision very shortly" the CJI said while addressing an event organised by Supreme Court Bar Association for celebration of Holi.

The Chief Justice was responding to Senior Advocate Vikas Singh's address with regard to resumption of physical hearings.

Mr Singh, who is the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, while addressing the event pointed out that presence of a large crowd physically at the event indicated the demand of the Bar for physical hearing

"I would like to point it out to the CJI that just see the crowd that is here, notwithstanding that we are also on YouTube, so this is a demand of the bar, not my demand for physical hearing. I'd like to ask CJI to say something with regard to physical hearing", Mr Singh had said.

At present, the hearings on miscellaneous days (Monday and Friday) are in full virtual mode and the hearings in other days are in physical mode.

Talking about the festival of holi, CJI Ramana also said that Holi is a special festival, which signifies victory of good over evil. It's about meeting people, sharing happy moments, eating food items, and also about forgiving and forgetting the past.

It may be noted that in view of the significant decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and positivity rate, the Supreme Court had decided to revive the Modified SOP notified on October 7, 2021, with effect from February 14, 2021.

As per the SOP dated October 7, 2021, the Supreme Court had decided that all the matters listed on Wednesday and Thursday, as non-miscellaneous days, would be heard by it only in the physical presence of the counsels/parties in Court-rooms. With several judges and staff getting infected with COVID, the judges started to hear cases virtually from residential chambers. Only urgent matters were taken up for hearing.