ICJ cancels all public hearings amid Coronavirus crisis as global death toll crosses 7000

Amid the spread of the pandemic Coronavirus, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Tuesday, released a statement that the court will be postponing the public hearings of the case Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v Venezuela). The public hearings of the case was scheduled to be held between 23 March - 27 March 2020. The court based in Hague, Netherlands stated that new dates will be issued in due course.

Supreme Court to introduce court proceedings through video conferencing

ICJ shuts public hearings

Pakistan might modify its Army Act; good news for Kulbhushan Jadhav

Recent ICJ pleas and hearings of India

On Monday, three of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape case approached the ICJ  seeking a stay on the execution of their death sentence. The three convicts who approached the ICJ are Akshay Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma - they are scheduled to be hanged on 20 March at 6 AM. The ICJ had also recently directed Pakistan to carry out an effective review and reconsideration of Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav's conviction and sentence - forcing Pakistan to put a hold on his death sentence.

Kulbhushan Jadhav case: ICJ chief holds Pakistan guilty of violations

SC to introduce VC court proceedings

Amid the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, the Supreme Court will soon introduce court proceedings via video conferencing to avoid the 'people to people' contact. Chief Justice of India S A Bobde on Sunday said that there cannot be a "complete shutdown" of courts due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. There would also be a smart television in both the press lounge for the convenience of the journalists along with e-filings.

All remedies exhausted, Nirbhaya rapists now approach ICJ to seek stay on their execution

Coronavirus crisis

First detected in Wuhan in December 2019, COVID-19- the novel coronavirus has affected nearly 118 countries in the world. Presently, there are over 1,84,037 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of 7182 people. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to deal to treat COVID-19, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. So far, China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran have witnessed the most number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, with the WHO declaring Europe as the 'epicenter'.