Delhi High Court Directs District Courts To Permit Lawyers Or Parties To Appear Virtually Without Prior Request

The Delhi High Court has directed all district courts in the national capital to permit any of the parties or their lawyers to appear through hybrid or video-conferencing mode during court proceedings, without any requirement of a prior request.

As per a circular issued today, the full court of the High Court has issued various directions regarding the conduct of hybrid hearings in the district courts.

“The hearings shall be conducted in hybrid/video-conferencing mode in conformity with the High Court of Delhi Rules for Video Conferencing for Courts 2021 and also bearing in mind the provisions of the Live Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings Rules of the High Court of Delhi, 2022,” the circular states.

It adds that the judges, while conducting hearings through hybrid or video-conferencing mode, shall ensure that no person other than the parties and lawyer of a particular case digitally accesses or joins the proceedings in cases relating to matrimonial disputes, sexual offences, child custody, POCSO Act, Juvenile Justice Act, medical termination of pregnancy etc.

“Further in a given case, the Court may for reasons to be recorded in writingdirect the parties and/or their Counsel to appear physically where in the opinion of the Court the physical presence of the parties/counsel in the court is required or where the court is otherwise of the opinion that the matter should be heard physically in the court,” the circular states.

All the judicial officers in the District Courts have been requested to strictly adhere to the directions.

Click Here To Read Circular