To avoid queues, lawyers to get tokens for filing cases in dist courts

Ludhiana: To ensure social distancing is maintained at the counter designated for filing of cases under Negotiable Instrument Act, the district and sessions judge has ordered token system for advocates to file cases. The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 came into being to define and amend the law relating to promissory notes, bill of exchange and cheques.
An order issued by the district and sessions judge said, “As norms with regards to social distancing are not being followed by advocate while filing of cases at counter designated for filing of cases under section 138 of negotiable Instrument Act 1881; In compliance of the directions of Punjab and Haryana high court, Chandigarh and to avoid overcrowding so as to contain the spread of Covid-19, it is hereby ordered that from tomorrow onwards filing of the cases under the section 138 of the Negotiable Instrument act will be allowed only against the token issued between 2 pm to 4 pm starting for today, for filing of the cases as per the schedule”. The schedule mentioned indicates that for token 1 to 10 the timing for filing of cases is 11am to 11.30am, for token 11 to 20 the timing is 11.30am to 12pm, for tokens 21 to 30 the timing is 12pm to 12.30pm, for 31 to 40 the timing is 12.30pm to 1pm and for token number 41 to 50 the timing is 1.30pm to 2pm.
The order added “It is made clear that token should be taken only for the filing of cases related to police stations allowed in the duty roaster for that day. Token obtained for other police stations shall be invalid.”
Secretary, District Bar Association (DBA), Sham Sundar Ahuja said instead of making advocates to stand in lines twice, once for getting token and then to file case, they should have given responsibility to DBA. He added that they would have made a team of advocates who would have collected the files from colleagues and given to them and then they could have communicated objection if any to the advocate concerned.