Supreme Court Bar Association To Hold Elections In A Hybrid Manner, Requests CJI To Resume Physical Hearings From 1st February

The development came after the Executive Committee reconsidered its earlier resolution of conducting the SCBA elections for 2020-21 in an online mode by engaging an independent agency for conducting elections under the supervision of the Election Committee. This was done in the change in situation of the pandemic and the change of approach of governments while opening public places and offices.

Therefore, in view of this, the Executive Committee confirmed that the elections for the SCBA should be held at the earliest.

The Executive Committee further clarified that the Election Committee shall decide the fresh dates of polling and holding elections not later than the third week of February 2021.

The Committee also suggested that the elections should be conducted in a hybrid manner i.e. via physical and virtual voting methods.

"The Election Committee is requested to consider this. As the suggestion to hold election is in hybrid form, the Election Committee may consider staggering the voting process in a phased manner." The resolution said.

The Supreme Court Bar Association was in the news earlier this week after Mr. Dushyant Dave, former President of SCBA tendered his resignation on Thursday.

In the letter, Dave specified that since the term of the Executive Committee has come to an end and the Committee is planning to hold elections virtually, it would not be possible for him to hold the position as per the schedule declared by the Election Committee.

The Executive Committee also resolved that the Hon'ble CJI S.A. Bobde be requested to commence physical hearing from 1^st February 2021.

The members of the Executive Committee, with a majority, noted that in the view of tremendous hardships being faced by the advocates in the hearings being conducted virtually, the Committee was of the opinion that the physical hearings must be resumed.

The Committee therefore requested the CJI that in the event of the effect of the pandemic being declined and the decision of the government for rolling out the covid vaccine, it would be necessary for the Supreme Court to "restore the optimum working of the judicial system in the larger public interest."