COVID Spike: Chhattisgarh High Court To Function Through Virtual Mode Only; SOP For HC, Subordinate Courts Issued

In view of the increasing COVID infection in the state, the Chhattisgarh High Court has decided that it shall be functioning via Virtual Conferencing Mode only and the Judges shall be holding the Court proceedings either from residence or in the Court Hall/Chamber.

An SOP for the High Court has also been issued in this regard with the following directions:

• Fresh filing will continue through the filing counters.
• In order to avoid over-crowding, Advocates are requested to enter High Court premises only if they have to file case(s) or their case(s) are listed in any of the Courts.
• All the officers in the rank of Section Officer and above and its equivalent officers should be present in the office daily on working days. Further, out of remaining staff below Section Officer posted in the section, only 2/3rd be present in the office on working days on rotation basis. The presence of staff is to be ensured by the Section in charge.
• Section In-charge shall ensure that social distancing be maintained between the staff present in the Section and also ensure their masking and sanitizing properly.
• No officer & employee will be permitted to leave headquarter without prior permission. Violation of same will invite disciplinary action. Apart from this, movement outside the headquarter will also not be permissible.
• The Section In-charge and in absence of Section In-charge, the senior-most employee of the section shall ensure that no employee should leave headquarter without permission and if any infraction in this regard is noticed, the same shall be reported to the Registrar General immediately.
• The Court Officer is directed to look after proper sanitization, Thermal Screening, Masking etc. throughout the premises personally and through CCTV Camera also.

Similarly, certain directions have been issued for the SUBORDINATE COURTS (District and Sessions Judge, Principal Judge of the Family Court, Judge Commercial Court, Special Judge (SC/ST), Member Judge (Industrial Court), Judge (Labour Court) etc.]

The number of cases to be taken up by each Court shall be so decided, which would ensure less congestion in the Courtrooms while maintaining social and individual distancing.

The SOP makes it open for the District Judge concerned/ Principal Judge of the Family Court Judge commercial Court/ Special Judge (SC/ST), Member Judge (Industrial Court), Judge (Labour Court) etc. to deploy the requisite number of staff (on rotation or otherwise) to get the work done maintaining the social distancing norms.

Further, the District and Sessions Judge Principal Judge, Judge of the Family Court/ Judge Commercial Court Special Judge (SC/ST), Member Judge (Industrial Court), Judge (Labour Court) etc. have been directed to ensure that everyone entering the court premises strictly adheres to the social distancing norms and other security protocols such as wearing of masks, sanitization etc. 

Read/Download SOP for the High Court and Subordinate Courts Here