High Court Directs Delhi Govt To Ensure Availability Of VC Links For Proceedings Before Quasi Judicial Authorities

The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to ensure compliance with a order issued by its Labour Commissioner, requiring all Quasi Judicial Authorities to provide link for video conferencing in the cause list itself so that a party to the dispute may join the proceedings by Video Conferencing.

Citing recent increase in Covid-19 cases, the GO requires all quasi-judicial authorities to provide VC links for hearings.

Accordingly, a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla ordered,

"GNCTD to continue to comply with the order dated 22.04.2022 till the same remains in force. All officers of the Labour Department are directed to strictly comply with the same."

The development comes in petition raising the grievance of non-availability of a links for hearings before the Labour department.

Advocates Anant Hajelay and Anil Hajelay argued that the department should fully adopt the hybrid system. However, the Court was of the view that there is a "genuine difficulty" being faced by courts, and even in High Court with respect to hybrid mode.

"We are discussing and debating because there are courts that are facing problem with hybrid functioning…there are issues with links, connectivity, sometimes there is echo problem, the system is not working in the same way in all the courts…therefore this is something we don't want to pass a general direction for," Justice Sanghi orally remarked.

The attention of the Court was also drawn towards an incident of misbehaviour by one Mr Gurmukh Singh, Joint Labour Commissioner, with a proxy counsel.

"The complaint, if true, is a matter of concern," the bench remarked, directing the Delhi government to file a status report in two weeks.

The matter will be heard on May 11.

Case Title: Anil Hajelay & Anr. v. High Court of Delhi