Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 25: In view of surge in the COVID-19 cases, Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal has directed for uniform workflow in all District and Subordinate courts of J&K and Ladakh and Tribunals and directed all the Judicial Officers to use video conferencing tools to conduct the day to day hearing of the cases in order to access justice to all.
With a view to ensure the safety of Judicial Officers, Advocates, Court Officials and all other stakeholders from the sudden alarming surge in COVID-19 infection cases the judicial officers were already given liberty to work through virtual mode from their respective official residences
The CJ said that the sitting roster for the District Judges and Magistrates for remand purposes or for meeting any judicial exigency has been constructed. In some districts roster has been prepared for sitting of Judicial Officers to attend the emergency work of all other courts and the officers who do have roster for a particular day and do not attend any judicial work on that particular day, which was not the purport of the High Court order No. 299of 2021/RG”, he added.
With the fresh direction, the CJ in its order dated 25.5.2021 directed all the Judicial Officers of J&K and Ladakh to use any video conferencing tool like JitsiMeet or GoogleMeet or Zoom which the CJ said shall depend upon its compatibility with the connectivity available.
The CJ said once a particular tool is chosen by the Judicial Officer, a permanent link shall be generated and the same shall be posted on the official website of the District Court concerned. The link CJ impressed, shall also be forwarded to the District and Tehsil Bar Associations of the concerned District for information through whatever means available.
On each working day, the CJ impressed, the concerned Judicial Officer, shall open the video conference on his personal laptop or desktop well before the official court timing. The Judicial Officer shall also ensure the attendance of the 50 percent of the staff of the court on each working day. “As the staff on duty shall be having access to the physical files in the court, one or more members of the court staff, who may not be in the court on a particular day as per the roster, shall also join if directed by the Judicial Officer”, the order read.
CJ further impressed that the court work through virtual mode shall start as per the scheduled court timing and cases shall be called by the staff present in the court serial wise as per the cause list. “Once the list is exhausted, the link may be closed but shall be opened again during office time if a request in this behalf is received from the lawyers”, read the order.
CJ also directed that the proceedings also shall be updated in the CIS so that real time information of case status is available to the lawyers and litigants regarding their cases and the order if any passed in any case shall be uploaded on the concerned portal without any fail.
CJ said these directions shall remain in force till the virtual mode of filing and hearing of cases is permitted in District and Subordinate Court in UTs of J&K and Ladakh vide previous orders date April 26 and May 10.
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