NEW DELHI, May 21: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday said he has requested all high courts across the country to conduct hearings online, adding that most of them have already implemented the measure.
The CJI made the remarks while hearing a lawyer’s plea seeking urgent directions for all courts in Delhi to switch to online hearings.
“I have already requested the Chief Justices. Most have already implemented. It has to be a voluntary exercise by both the Bar and the Bench,” CJI Kant observed.
The lawyer informed the bench that her petition sought directions for all district courts to conduct virtual hearings for three months in the national interest.
Responding to the request, the CJI said district courts fall under the administrative control of the respective high courts.
“District courts are the domain of High Courts. District courts are in the administrative domain of HCs. Let them take call… I have requested them for district courts also,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, CJI Kant had urged chief justices of all high courts to conduct online hearings on Mondays and Fridays for the time being to reduce avoidable expenditure amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.
On May 15, the Supreme Court had also decided to hear cases exclusively through video conferencing on Mondays and Fridays. The judges had further resolved to encourage carpooling among themselves to ensure optimum fuel utilisation.
The measures followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to minimise avoidable expenditure in view of the West Asia crisis. (Agencies)
