The High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital issued guidelines for court functioning through Video Conferencing during COIVD19 pandemic.
Having considered the imminent threat to the human life by spread of COVID-19 (Corona Virus) and in the view of directions of the Supreme Court of India in Suo Motu Writ Petition, the High Court issued directions with regard to its functioning during an outbreak of pandemic disease COVID19, which is to be applicable from 15th April, 2020.
It says that fresh matters with extreme urgency along with the urgency application justifying the extraordinary circumstances despite lockdown will be send through email to the Judicial Registrar which will then be placed before the Chief Justice with the report for further orders. Subsequently, if the chief justice orders for placing up the matter, the same will be informed to the advocate appearing the matter to send the petition with Annexures/ documents pertaining to the matter in pdf form through email.
“The petition received by e-mail from the advocate shall be registered in CIS in the same manner as is followed in the normal course and after scrutinizing the petition, the officer of Institution Section of the Court deputed in this regard, shall forward the petition to the Registrar (Judicial) or such officer of the Court deputed in this regard” said in the notification.
In the notification it was mentioned that defects will be communicated to the advocate through mail for its removal and send it back. Further, the Registrar Judicial will forward the petition to the court for facilitating the hearing through video conferencing. Thereafter, the court in exercise of its powers may dismiss the petition after going through it before hearing through video conferencing and if not then it will hear the matter.
It further made to the notice of all that if benches are not constituted for hearing the matter under this Notification, before forwarding the petition to the Registrar for onward transmission of the petition to the Court concerned, the Registrar Judicial shall take orders from the Chief Justice for constitution of the Bench for the matter concerned and the orders so received by him, will be communicated to all the concerned.
The court notifies that the video conferencing will be held through “Jitsi Meet” software and for this purpose, advocates are required to download and install the said software in their mobile phone/tab/laptop/personal computer/ etc. and the recording of proceedings held under this notification is strictly prohibited.
The High Court adjourned all the pending matters whose date lies during the period when this notification is in force.