Bar Council of Delhi urges High Court to resume functioning of some courts in 'limited manner'

The Bar Council of Delhi has urged Delhi High Court to resume the functioning of some courts in the national capital in a limited manner after the Central government issued new guidelines for COVID-19 lockdown.

Delhi High Court had, on Wednesday, extended the suspension of the functioning of the High Court and its subordinate courts till May 3, when the extended lockdown is scheduled to end.

Bar Council of Delhi Chairman advocate KC Mittal, in a letter to Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice DN Patel, urged him to resume functioning of some courts by adequately regulating the ingress and egress from different gates in a limited manner.

"In view of recent guidelines, we would very humbly request to kindly consider the functioning of some courts by adequately regulating the ingress and egress from different gates, in a very limited manner and permitting only two advocates to enter the courtroom and also in a phased manner, not regularly, but with a gap, to permit opening of some of the chambers in court premises," Mittal said in the letter.

He said that the Bar Council of Delhi has requested the High Court to put in place a system so that more matters can be taken up during the coronavirus lockdown.

"If considered feasible, it might help in disposal of various urgent matters, including pending bail applications, but the same has to be in strict compliance of the norms laid down for social distancing, necessary stisation of the individual as well as entry of court premises and all other measures and precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19," Mittal said.

"The lockdown has now been extended up to May 3, however, BCD notices that government of India had issued an order to ease curb from April 20 in certain areas, to restart the economy development in areas like agriculture, industrial activities outside city limits, construction, IT, e-commerce and some other areas like the supply of essential goods, courier service by self-employed, food processing, all goods traffic, MNREGA workers, etc," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )

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