As the Supreme Court on Thursday opened for a complete physical hearing for the first time since March 2020, Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana said that the top court may ramp up physical hearings after the Diwali break.
CJI Ramana made the remarks in response to senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Ranjit Kumar who thanked him for resuming physical hearing of cases in a limited manner.
Responding to them, the CJI said, "After Diwali, we may start it on a larger scale."
The Supreme Court will go on Diwali break from November 1 to November 6.
The corridors of the apex court were crowded and bustling today as the complete physical hearing started after a year and seven months. In March 2020 the top court switched to the virtual mode due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The apex court recently issued a new standard operating procedure (SoP) for hybrid hearings which said that all cases on Wednesday and Thursday are to be heard only in the physical presence of the counsels/parties in courtrooms.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh said that a meeting was held today with the CJI and Attorney General KK Venugopal, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and CU Singh wanted the hybrid hearing to continue on all days.
Singh said he, Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of Bar Council of India and Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCORA) "wanted physical to start on all five days because the seropositivity of Delhi is more than 90 per cent as informed to him by Satyendra Jain, Health Minister of Delhi government today morning.
Executive committee of Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association has also passed a resolution that all Benches of the apex court should hear cases physically on all days and not restrict physical hearing to Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Justice DY Chandrachud, while hearing a case, expressed happiness on seeing lawyers coming for a physical hearing.
"We are happy to see you all. You cannot imagine how lonely it is to see the screen every morning," Justice Chandrachud said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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