The COVID Committee of the High Court of Calcutta made certain recommendations, considering which, the Hon’ble Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan passed an order. A notification was issued that the Court will resume normal functioning from December 7th2020.
“for information of all concerned that the Hon’ble the Chief Justice, High Court, Calcutta, upon consideration of the recommendations of the Hon’ble Covid Committee of this Hon’bleCourt, has been pleased to pass the orders with regard to the modalities of the functioning of the Calcutta High Court and District Courts”
Some of the orders include:• Covid protocol, as recommended by the State Government from time to time, must always be maintained. • No crowding inside the courtrooms will be permitted. Distancing norms must be maintained in the corridors. Only persons who have business should come to court, others should exercise restraint and not visit the court precincts unless unavoidable. • Lawyers’ staff should, ordinarily, not accompany the lawyer in court. At any rate, no lawyer should allow more than one member of staff to be in court.
Except for matters pertaining to the Circuit Benches at Port Blair and Jalpaiguri, all other matters have to be filed physically. Colour-coded files have been arranged to distinguish the Port Blair matters and the Jalpaiguri matters from the matters pertaining to the Principal Bench. Upon matters being filed before the Principal Bench, the relevant files will now be forwarded to the appropriate departments and therefrom to the relevant Benches. Accumulation of all files in courtrooms nos. 21 and 22 will be discontinued.
As far as the District Judiciary is concerned, every effort should be made to resume normal functioning in the courts, depending on the situation prevailing in the relevant city or town. Matters other than final hearing matters should be encouraged to be conducted on the virtual mode by parties other than the State and the Union.
