HC switches to work from home

In view of the lockdown against Covid-19, the Telangana High Court on Friday took a decision to hear only extremely urgent cases on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week till April 14 through video conference or through mobile apps.

If any matter needs urgent judicial intervention, either the advocates or party-in-person should mail to the High Court registrar and explain the reasons why the matter should be taken up urgently. After scrutiny and consideration by the chief justice, the matter will be heard through virtual courtrooms. For this, the advocates or party-in-persons should download the “zoom cloud meetings’ app. Subordinate courts, tribunals, the state legal service authority, mediation and arbitration centres and the judicial academy will remained closed till April 14.

To this effect, the Telangana High Court issued directions on Friday. All judicial staff members need not attend duty. However, they must be available over the phone and attend duty whenever required. At the same time, the High Court ordered judicial officers at various courts not to leave their headquarters.

Matters of extreme urgency such as remand, bail applications, extension of remand etc., would be heard through skype and video conferencing. Judicial officers were asked to attend to pending work in the intervening period.

Regarding the status of interim orders which will expire between March 20 and April 14, the High Court took up a suo motu petition and extended them up to June 7.

The decision was taken by a bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and comprising Justice M.S Ramachandra Rao and Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy, taking cognizance of the extraordinary circumstances.

The extension of orders would be in effect if there is no Supreme Court intervention in a particular case.

The High Court also kept the orders of executing courts, issued after February 15, to execute decrees, in abeyance till further orders.