Supreme Court to resume full physical hearings from Monday

New Delhi: On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramanna announced that the Supreme Court of India would resume full physical hearings from Monday onwards, in light of the rapidly improving Covid situation in the country, reported legal news portal Bar and Bench.

The decision was taken in view of significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases and positivity rate.

Earlier, on 5 February, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Saturday requested Chief Justice of India N V Ramanatres that physical hearings in the apex court be reassumed to the pre-pandemic level as the COVID-19 situation is in control and stressed that 'open court hearing' is both the "convention and constitutional requirement".

In a letter addressed to the CJI, SCBA president Vikas Singh said the positivity rate in the national capital had come down to below four percent and the Delhi Disaster Management Author had decided to reopen schools, colleges and gyms here with effect from February 7.

It was then decided that physical hearings would be held twice a week – on Wednesday and Thursday. A hybrid mode of hearing would be held on other days as was decided last year.

The apex court revived the modified standard operating procedure (SOP) it had issued on October 7 last year after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic had eased.

Now, physical hearings will be held on non-miscellaneous days as well.