SC shuts doors except on urgent matters, knocks out all cases listed on Thu

The SC has shut its doors indefinitely citing "prevailing Covid situation," knocking out all matters listed on Thursday in the cause list as "adjourned" and saying "only urgent matters" will be heard from Thursday. A notice mounted on its website on Tuesday night, on the directions of the competent authority (outgoing CJI SA Bobde), says: "The regular courts and the registrar courts shall not sit from 22.04.2011 onwards till further orders." In a separate circular, the registrars said: "Only urgent matters will be listed for hearing w.e.f. 22.04.2021." It said only "fresh matters" will be entertained, laying down the procedure for mentioning applications, along with synopsis of not exceeding one page." It adds that these will be processed for listing "on the next to next working day, subject to availability of the Bench."

A similar procedure is laid down for entertaining the interlocutory applications in pending matters and miscellaneous pleas in the disposed matters. The circular says the matters for urgent mentioning shall be as per the rules in the circular of 23.01.2019. It annexed the list of 15 kind of matters in that circular that will be entertained for urgent hearing, including those related to death penalty, imminent demolition of property or eviction, anticipatory bail, admissions in educational institutions, elections where the last date for nomination, withdrawal, election is to expire, auction or sealing of premises in case of bank default and medical termination of pregnancy.