Madhya Pradesh High Court To Hear Cases Only Through Virtual Mode From April 26, SOP Issued

The SOP states that cases shall be heard only through Virtual mode at Principal Seat Jabalpur and Benches at Indore & Gwalior and no physical hearing shall be conducted.

This S.O.P., issued under the direction of the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court is in supersession of earlier S.O.P. dated 11^th February 2021, Additional S.O.P. dated 03^rd April 2021 and Notice dated 07^th April 2021 and it will come into force w.e.f. 26^th April 2021 (Monday) till further orders.

Highlights of the SOP

• No case files shall be accepted physically through Filing Counters of Presentation Centers at Principal Seat Jabalpur and Benches at Indore & Gwalior.
• E-mentioning for urgent listing of matters will continue via chat box of Jitsi Video Conferencing Platform'.
• The counsels may submit the request for mentioning in the prescribed format (provided in the "mention" tab available on the website of M.P. High Court).
• Only such Mention requests, made between 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM, shall be entertained, in which specific reasons of extreme and genuine urgency, in brief, are given.
• Advocates / Litigants to file Mention Memos only by assigning specific, correct & detailed reasons in only those cases, which involve extreme and genuine urgency. Henceforth, only such Mention Memos shall be entertained which mention the reasons of pressing urgency.
• Bail applications are deemed to be urgent, therefore learned counsels need not file mention memo for the same.
• In addition to e-Mentioning via `Jitsi Video Conferencing Platform'. Advocates / Litigants may submit Mention Memo in physical form the DropBox installed for the same purpose at Principal Seat Jabalpur and at Benches at Indore & Gwalior.
• Advocates/Litigants to submit such Memos from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM only in the cases having extreme and genuine urgency, in absence of which, no request shall be entertained.
• Facility of removal of defaults, from the counters of presentation centers, will not be available till further orders.
• Advocates and their registered clerks may rectify/remove the defaults of their cases physically at the appearance counters, situated in the Administrative Block of the High Court of M.P., Principal Seat Jabalpur.
• For Benches at Indore and Gwalior, facility of removal of defaults from any suitable place, other than the counters of presentation center, may be notified separately as per the orders of Hon'ble the Administrative Judge of the Bench.
• Defaults in fresh case (the case which is not even listed once before the Hon'ble Court) can be removed physically at the appearance counters/defaults counters or through E-filling software, within seven Registry working days.
• If the defaults are not removed within seven Registry working days, fresh case(s) will be listed on common order/order caption, as the case may be, before the Hon'ble Courts.
• Defaults in pending case (the case which is listed once on common order /common conditional order/order caption on default before the Hon'ble Court), can be removed physically at the appearance counters/defaults counters or through E-filling software within the time limit prescribed by the Hon'ble Court.
• Defaults can be removed at appearance counters/defaults counters during the working hours of Registry working days. Approaching any official or any section(s) for removal of default or any other work is strictly prohibited.
• No person/litigant will be permitted to enter the High Court Premises unless there is a specific direction by the Hon'ble Court.
• In case the presence of a litigant is directed by the Hon'ble Court, then such litigant will produce copy of the order directing his/her presence along with an ID proof at the entry gate of the High Court.
• All the Guidelines/Instructions, such as undergoing thermal screening, maintaining social distance, wearing of mask, proper sanitization etc., issued from time to time by the Central Government/State Government and High Court of Madhya Pradesh for prevention of Coronavirus (Covid-19), will be strictly followed and adhered to by all concerned.

In view of the alarming rise in the covid 19 cases in the national capital, recently it was resolved that the Delhi High Court and all the district courts shall continue to take up only extremely urgent matters filed in the year 2021 through video conferencing mode till May 15.

In view of the Rajasthan Government extending it's curfew for two more weeks, the Rajasthan High Court has also modified its earlier directions by resolving that both the Benches of the High Court (Jaipur and Jodhpur) shall function completely through virtual mode only for hearing urgent matters instituted in the year 2021 with the exception that any other matter may be taken up with the permission of the Court. The said directions shall remain in force till May 3.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has extended till April 30 the application of its earlier order wherein it was decided that the High Court and District Courts in Jammu and Kashmir will hear cases only through virtual mode.