In the wake of Novel Coronavirus, the Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday decided to hear only urgent cases from March 18 to April 4 and avoid entry of litigants in the court premises during the aforementioned period, a notification in the official website of the High Court said.
Following a full court meeting, the High Court passed directives for all judicial bodies across the State and said that the general advisory for the public should be followed by one and all in the court premises. “All pending matters with the court, including the courts of registrars and joint registrars,” the notification said. The cases pending on March 18, March 19 and March 20 will be heard on April 15, April 16 and April 17, the notification added.
The Court, in its notification, said that cases related to anticipatory bail, demolition, eviction, disconnection of electricity and water supply shall be considered urgent.
A slip mentioning the reason for urgency should be submitted to the Joint Registrar by 1:30 PM every day, the notification added.
During this period, only registered lawyers will be allowed to visit the court premises. Besides, the court had directed that all canteens and eateries within the premises be shut till April 4. Similar restrictions will also be applicable on subordinate courts in Jharkhand. The Court has said that no coercive measures must be taken to ensure the presence of witness in the court premises.
Besides, the court has resolved to request the e-Committee to take steps for e-filing, and creating paperless courts and virtual courts. A maximum of 25 urgent matters will be heard by a particular bench in a day, the court’s notification said. The Judicial Academy should also suspend all training sessions till March 31, it added.
While the virus has claimed over 5000 lives across the globe, primarily in Italy and China, it has affected more than 100 people in India and caused three deaths. No cases of Coronavirus have been reported in Jharkhand so far. However, more than 100 people here are under observation after returning from countries affected by the virus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Coronavirus a global pandemic.
The High Court’s decision comes close on the heels of the State Government’s preventive measure of closing all educational institutions and movie theaters till April 14. Coronavirus is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). This new virus was temporarily named 2019-nCoV.