Coronavirus has been declared pandemic and precaution and prevention is being advised world over. Work from home is the new course of action being taken in India generally till March 31, 2020. Courts in India are no exception and are taking precautionary measures to contain the spread of coronavirus. The Jharkhand high court has also decided to suspend regular court functioning from March 18, 2020, till April 4, 2020, but maintained that it would hear urgent matters during this period. For district courts, the restriction will be effective until March 31, 2020.
The decision came a day after the state government declared the closure of schools, colleges, universities, parks, cinema halls, clubs, bars and other places of public gathering till April 14, 2020.
Hon’ble Chief Justice Mr Ravi Ranjan, other high court judges and members of HC advocates bar association discussed the issue and decided to restrict the court’s functioning to only urgent matters for the next 18 days. A core committee to be constituted by the chief justice would review the situation from time to time till April 4, 2020.
“Urgent matters like regular bail, anticipatory bail, cases related to eviction, demolition, disconnection of electricity, water supply and others will be heard. Fresh filing of such cases too can be done till 12.30 pm on all working days,” said a notification issued by the high court.
In order to ensure less crowding in the court, entry of litigants on the court campus has been prohibited till April 4, 2020. No person except the lawyers who are going to act in the matter along with one litigant only will be permitted to enter in the courtroom, the notification said. Canteen and food kiosks on the court campuses will remain closed till April 4, 2020.
Regarding subordinate courts, it has been directed to restrict the court’s functioning to urgent matters only till March 31, 2020. Production of jail inmates would be undertaken through video conferencing only. No coercive steps would be taken to ensure the attendance of witnesses in criminal cases.
The lower courts have been directed not to pass adverse/default orders even parties are found at default till March 31, 2020.
All mediation proceedings, Lok Adalats, legal awareness camps and outreach programmes of district legal services authority would remain suspended from March 18 till March 31. All bar rooms, association halls, canteens and food kiosks within the district court campuses would remain closed. The entry of litigants would be restricted and crowding or assembly of people on the court campus would not be allowed until March 31, 2020.
Besides, training programmes in Jharkhand Judicial Academy have been suspended till March 31. The chief secretary has been asked to take appropriate measures regarding juvenile justice boards/observation homes/shelter homes and all jail premises.
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