Jammu Kashmir High Court suspends functioning

To curb spre of coronavirus, Jammu Kashmir High Court today suspended its functioning as well as of district and subordinate courts till 14th April. 

As per circular issued by Registrar General of HC, Sanjay Dhar, res that Chief Justice, Gita Mittal, has taken te of order issued by Government of India (GoI) by which a nationwide lockdown has been declared for a period of 21 days with effect from Thursday, March 26.

circular furr res that access to all court complexes of union territories of JK and Lakh, including High Court complexes at Srinagar and Jammu would remain closed during period of lockdown. It res matters of extreme urgency pertaining to HC will have to be mentioned before concerned registrar judicial and after seeking necessary orders from Chief Justice of HC, hearing will take place from residence of Judges through video conferencing.

Principal District and Sessions Judges are also being directed to make arrangements for hearing of any exceptionally urgent Civil and Criminal matters through video-conferencing from residences of Judicial Officers, who would be designated by concerned District and Sessions Judge for purpose. It directs furr to strictly comply orders and instructions of GoI and JK government regarding social distancing, restrictions, precautions, quarantine, isolation etc Judicial officers, officers and staff of registry and staff of district courts were directed to remain available at all times at ir respective residences to deal with any business of emergent nature.

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"Any urgent business would be transacted on virtual mode," it res.

Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed authorities to enforce government tifications/instructions/orders regarding all disclosures including travel history, quarantining and isolation stringently and take severe measures to ensure that all requirements are strictly enforced to curb spre of COID 19 Hearing a PIL through video-conferencing from Srinagar, Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sindhu Sharma in its order said that judicial tice can be taken of several complaints being me in electronic and print media with regard to persons who are hiding ir foreign travel history in order to escape mandatory quarantine, even though y are required to divulge ir travel history.

“Some of such persons have been found to be infected and huge public resources have been expended on tracking t only se persons but ir several contacts during period upto ir detection,” order re. High Court has also directed BSNL to ensure that every effort is me to operationalize video-conferencing facilities in all courts within Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Lakh at earliest possible. 

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