Roster system to be adopted for functioning of district courts

LUCKNOW: The roster system will be implemented for the functioning of the district courts when they resume hearing in the state capital and the rest of the state.

The high court administration has decided that a maximum of eight judicial officers will be asked to hear the cases on a rotational basis.

These courts will list important new cases for hearing, bail applications, discharge applications and record statements under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Apart from this, the courts will list remand applications for hearing and discharge applications related with criminal matters.

The high court administration has also decided that courts will list important civil matters for hearing as well.

“It will be decided at the local level (district court) as to which new case will be listed for hearing,” said Sanjeev Pandey, general secretary of Central Bar Association (Lucknow district court).

The procedure for accepting bonds will also be decided at the local level (district court) and all judgments will be uploaded on the case information system.

At present, three courts are taking up cases in the Lucknow district court through virtual hearing. From Monday onwards, four courts will resume work. Once the partial corona curfew is lifted, eight courts will be functional.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, summer vacations in both district courts and high courts were advanced.

In view of the pandemic, it has also been decided that not more than 30% of the court staff, including class four employees, will be assigned duties on a particular day.

VIRTUAL HEARINGS

Meanwhile, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has decided that only virtual hearing of cases will take place from Monday.

Physical hearings will take place only in urgent matters decided by the high court.