Coronavirus: SC in virtual lockdown situation, closes lawyers' chambers, suspends entry

Supreme Court on Monday virtually went into a lockdown in view of coronavirus epidemic, indefinitely suspending entry of vocates and or staff in high security zone on basis of ir proximity cards.

top court, without specifying any date, said that only one court will sit to take up extremely urgent matters through video conferencing by an app, which will be installed in desktop, laptop or mobile phones.

top court also directed that lawyers' chamber and offices will be closed and vised vocates t to attend ir respective offices, as sanitation staffs will be allowed inside.

" entry into High Security Zone be furr regulated by suspending entry of Learned vocates on basis of ir proximity cards, till furr orders. vocates having offices/chambers in various Lawyers Chamber Blocks situated in Supreme Court may be vised against attending ir respective offices/chambers, as y would require to be closed due to lack of cleaning and conservancy services, in light of steps taken pursuant to Government tification," a circular issued by top court said.

top court circular said that benches would be constituted to hear only matters involving extreme urgency, similar to process done during vacations of apex court.

It said that court taking up matters, which are extremely urgent in nature will be heard virtually through video-conferencing on "Vidyo" app and lawyers have been vised to downlo app on ir desktop/laptop or mobile phone.

circular also listed out modalities and issued a standard operating procedure as how app could be downloed, how video-conferencing could be done and how to apply for hearing of extremely urgent matters.

It said that if vocate or Party-in-Person is unable to connect through video-conferencing due to n-availability of hardware/network on any given date, n his matter could be taken next date and he would be required to be present in video-conference room by indicating in application ir desire to do so.

top court said to streamline access to members of Press. Deputy Registrar (Public Relations Officer) may permit only three media persons to remain inside Video-Conference Room, whenever bench may sit to take up extreme urgent matters, till furr orders.

circular said that President and Secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Supreme Court vocate on Record Association (SCAORA) may authorise entry of any vocate into high security zone, on ir letter heard, scanned and sent to Registrar (ministration) ahe of requested time of entry, specifying area of visit within High Security Zone and purpose.

Earlier, in day, a bench heed by Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices L N Rao and Surya Kant indicated that top court has decided to seal chambers of lawyers in and around its premises and said that only one court would hear "extremely urgent matters" through virtual means.

"We don't want any congregation of lawyers in premises. One court will be sitting once a week to take up extremely urgent matters that too through virtual means. We will be sharing video link with lawyers whose case is listed and y can even argue from ir chambers or from ir home," bench has said.

chief justice said he would take a call on a possible shut down or to vance summer vacations, as demanded by lawyers' organisations.

death toll due to vel coronavirus pandemic rose to nine on Monday after West Bengal and Himachal Presh reported a casualty each, while number of confirmed cases soared to 468, Union health ministry said.

number of active COVID-19 cases are 424 w and 35 people have been cured/discharged/migrated.

issue of shutting down apex court's functioning was raised by SCBA president and members of SCAORA in wake of coronavirus outbreak.