After operating virtually for around a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi HC has ordered all its benches to hold physical hearings on a daily basis from 15 March
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that all judicial staff could be considered 'frontline workers' and given the Covid-19 vaccine on a priority basis.
"There is weight in a claim made by Bar Council of Delhi for declaring all associated with judicial functioning including judges, court staff and lawyers as frontline workers so they could receive Covid-19 vaccination on priority, without limitations of age/physical condition," the court said.
Also Read | Why Das should heed Buffett on bond yields
In light of this, a notice has been issued to the Secretary, Principal Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.
The decision was taken by a division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli while initiating a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) of its own after it received communication by Ramesh Gupta, Chairman, Bar Council of Delhi.
The court listed the matter for today for further hearing.
Gupta had requested the chief justice on 1 March appropriate directions be issued to the concerned authorities to make available necessary infrastructure for vaccination of court staff in the premises.
Physical hearing
After operating virtually for around a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi HC has ordered all its benches to hold physical hearings on a daily basis from 15 March.
The HC had resumed physical hearings in a limited manner in September 2020, after holdings only virtual courts from March last year.
Crowds at courts
On Wednesday's hearing, the court observed that there is a clear pattern emerging that the number of Covid-19 positive cases increase with greater intermingling and congregation of people.
The HC said that the need of the hour is to vaccinate the masses, in view of the raging pandemic, on a war footing so as to secure the life and health of all those who step out of their homes to attend to their avocations and professions.
"Courts, by their very nature, are places which have very high-density congregations of people on a daily basis. Thousands of cases are listed in any given court complex every day. Apart from judges, the court staff and advocates, a large number of litigants visit Courts in which their cases are listed, on a daily basis," the Delhi HC said in its order.
In fact, the number of persons visiting a Court complex -Tiz Hazari Courts on any given day, may well be in excess of the number of persons visiting and thronging the hospital for treatment of patients, the Court also noted.
Vaccination for SC judges
The Supreme Court judges, sitting and former, and their family members were allowed to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from Tuesday on the premises of the court.
The apex court is gearing up to resume physical hearing soon, after it switched to video-conference hearing on 24 March last year.
Click here to read the Mint ePaperMint is now on Telegram. Join Mint channel in your Telegram and stay updated with the latest business news.