COVID19: US Supreme Court Postpones Oral Arguments For April, Looking At Alternatives To Conduct Proceedings

The said decision has been taken in light of the rising cases of COVID19 in the country, and to keep with the public health guidance issued to curtail the same.

The US Supreme Court was supposed to hear oral arguments on crucial constitutional matters in two phases - April 20-22, and April 27-29.

As the court's term comes to an end in June, it has decided to schedule both the sessions pending from March and April before the end of its term, if the circumstances permit. It said:

'The Court will consider rescheduling some cases from the March and April sessions before the end of the Term, if circumstances permit in light of public health and safety guidance at that time.'

As the cases would begin to mount due to repeated postponement, the apex constitutional court in the US has noted that it will consider a range of scheduling options and other alternatives if arguments cannot be held in the Courtroom before the end of the term.

However, it is clarified that the court will continue to work on the resolution of cases which have already been argued. Moreover, court's opinions on such cases will also be uploaded on the website.

The court will also continue to regularly hold its scheduled conferences and issue Order lists.

In its release, the Supreme Court has also mentioned that the court building will be open for court officials, although most personnel are teleworking.

To avoid crowding of courts and maintain social distancing, the Supreme Court building will remain closed to the public until further notice.