Supreme Court To Hear Matters Listed On Wednesday & Thursday In Physical Mode Only From October 20

Issuing a modified Standard Operating Procedure for physical hearing, the Supreme Court of India has decided that all the matters listed on Wednesday and Thursday, as non-miscellaneous days, would be heard by it only in the physical presence of the counsels/parties in Court-rooms.

However, miscellaneous days' matter would continue to be heard through video/teleconferencing mode till further orders. This modified SOP will come into effect from 20th October, 2021.

The SOP has been issued by the Chief Justice of India on consideration of the requests received from the Bar Associations, and on the recommendations of the Judges Committee in that regard. 

Other essential directions issued by the Court (please refer to the attached file for complete directions):

• All the matters listed on Tuesday, as a non-miscellaneous day, would also be heard in physical mode, however, on prior application by the AOR for the party, appearance through video/teleconferencing mode will be facilitated.
• The AOR desirous of availing such facility of video linkage for hearing on Tuesday, as a non-miscellaneous day, shall have to apply for the same by 1.00 p.m. on the previous working day, on email id vc.request@sci.nic.in.
• There may be a break(s) for a period of about 15 minutes at the discretion of the Hon'ble Bench during the hearings in the courtroom in the physical mode so that courtroom may be sanitized, for which it is necessary that the entire Court-room be vacated.
• If the Bench is of the view that in a particular matter listed on non-miscellaneous days, the number of Counsels are more than the working capacity of the Court-room, as per Covid-19 norms, the Registry will facilitate hearing of such matters through video/teleconferencing/hybrid mode.
• The Entry of the Counsels into the High-Security Zone to appear for hearing through physical mode will be through Proximity Cards/Photo entry passes and for party in person through Photo entry passes which will be issued by the Registry as per the practice followed before the onset of Covid-19 pandemic.
• In order to facilitate video/teleconferencing for the Ld. Advocates/Counsels, a dedicated VC Facilitation Centre is located in Block 'B/C', Ground Floor, Additional Building Complex, Supreme Court of India, which can be accessed through Gate No.1 of that Complex

This SOP has been issued In continuation of directions already notified regarding the functioning of the Supreme Court of India, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, more particularly through Circulars dated 14.03.2020, 23.03.2020, 30.08.2020, 05.03.2021 & 28.08.2021.

Click Here To Download Modified SOP

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