The Kerala High Court will shift fully to the virtual mode of hearing from Monday in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. The hearing was being held in a hybrid mode till now.
The court proceedings of the district judiciary will also be held through online mode from Monday.
However, cases for trial or any other particular class of cases may be heard through physical mode, if a judicial officer concerned finds that it is absolutely unavoidable. Besides, the presiding officers should ensure that not more than 15 people attend the court at a time, according to an advisory issued by the High Court to the district judiciary.
Time slots should be fixed for hearing cases and conducting trials, to avoid overcrowdingin the courts. The examination of witnesses could be done through video conferencing(VC) whenever possible. If it is decided to proceed with the trial of any case through physical mode, the number of witnesses should be limited considerably. The parties should be allowed into the court only if he/she carries a letter from his/her counsel, the advisory added.
Though the sitting of the High Court has been completely made through Video Conferencing(VC), in exceptional cases, judges concerned can decide if any particular cases is to be heard in physical mode .
The advocates’ clerks will be allowed only for filing purposes and entry of public will also be restricted.Separate boxes will be placed on the ground floor of the High Court for dropping the physical case files.The presence of the High Court staff will be regulated,a communication issued by the High Court said...
