The facility of physical hearing of limited cases in all the courts in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts, including the Principal Bench of the High Court of Karnataka in the city, stands cancelled till the COVID-19 lockdown is withdrawn, stated a notice issued by the Registrar-General of the High Court on Sunday.
Though only a few High Court staff members will be able to reach the court because of the fresh lockdown, efforts will be made to list all the cases for videoconferencing, for which dates have been fixed on the basis of memos filed by e-mail. But the sittings of few a judges may be cancelled, the notice stated.
The e-filing facility, as provided in the Standard Operating Procedure already notified, will continue with the modification that only exceptionally urgent matters that cannot wait until the lockdown is withdrawn will be permitted.
While the appointments already given for physical filing of cases from July 15 will not be disturbed, fresh appointments will not be allowed till the lockdown is lifted. However, appointments will be given for physical filing of caveat petitions, paying court fees and process fees, and to file documents in cases already listed for hearing, the notice stated.
The High Court has also appealed to advocates not to apply for listing of cases unless an exceptional urgency is involved and the case cannot wait till the lockdown is withdrawn.
