The Delhi High Court, observing that three judicial officers had lost their lives to COVID-19, on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to file a status report on whether judicial officers presiding over lower courts can be declared as frontline workers.
A Divison Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh asked the Delhi government to address the issue and listed the matter for May 26 for further hearing.
The court opined that since judicial officers have to facilitate the wheels of justice during the ongoing pandemic, they can be prima facie considered as frontline workers.
The court was hearing petitions filed by the Delhi Judicial Officers Association and one advocate Shobha Gupta.
Advocate Gupta urged the High Court to immediately declare Judicial Officers in Delhi as frontline workers and provide for them by setting up a mechanism for medical treatment for the coronavirus and other serious related ailments.
In their petitions, advocates Gupta and Rajesh Sachdeva urged, "To direct the GNCT of Delhi to immediately declare Ld. Judicial Officers (DJS/DHJS) as frontline workers and provide them by setting up a mechanism for the medical treatment of Judicial Officers in Delhi infected with the coronavirus and or serious related ailments."
Gupta also sought direction to the government to earmark private and government hospitals near respective court residences in Delhi for treatment.
Further, she urged the court to convert the dispensaries in the residential colonies of Judicial Officers and dispensaries near the Court Complexes to Covid Centers.
( With inputs from ANI )
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