Starting June 8, as part of the phased relaxation of lockdown in the city, the subordinate courts will start working in two shifts. The courts will function with 15 per cent staff from 10 am to 1 am and then from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.
Apart from extremely urgent matters that courts heard until now during the lockdown, they will also hear bail pleas which had been filed before the lockdown and proceed with case fixed for orders and judgments.
This is as per a standard operating procedure approved by the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and judges part of the administrative committee after taking into account suggestions made by principal judges of district courts in the state.
As part of safety precautions, it said that all visitors must mandatorily install the Aarogya Setu mobile app which can track if any person tested positive is nearby. The courts will also have only one entry and one exit point to manage visitors.
The standard operating procedure stated that only a moderate number of cases must be listed and video-conferencing facilities be used to the maximum. The hearing of final arguments must be done through video-conferencing or by filing written arguments, it said.
There would be use of contact-less infrared temperature gun for thermal scanning of visitors and all visitors will have to wear mask and use sanitizer provided by guards. In addition, each courtroom too will have sanitizer at its entrance. The court staff may use a face shield or have a transparent acrylic sheet while addressing the judges, it recommended.
