Punjab & Haryana Bar Association writes to HC requesting resumption of physical hearings

LE Desk

Chandigarh, August 17, 2021: The Punjab and Haryana Bar Association has requested the High Court to resume physical hearings of cases, saying the number of Covid-19 cases being reported on a daily basis has come down.

In a letter dated August 16, 2021 and addressed to the Registrar of the High Court, the Punjab and Haryana Bar Association said it has conducted a survey among its members regarding satisfaction with the current arrangement of court hearings being conducted through the virtual mode.  

The survey report, enclosed along with the letter, stated that majority of the Bar members are in favour of opening of the courts for physical hearings, considering that the number of positive cases of Covid-19 has reduced. 

The letter said “…today, i.e. 16.08, 2021, only two cases have been reported and the number of active cases have been reduced to 43 in Chandigarh. Moreover, most of the members and court staff are vaccinated and are less vulnerable to contacting COVID disease.”

The letter further said that the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association has conducted 39 vaccination camps and have vaccinated 8005 members, their families and other persons connected with the High Court working i.e. vendors, HCBA Staff, AG Office Staff etc. till date. 

“Even the most vulnerable section of the society i.e. Children who are yet to be vaccinated are attending the school,” the Bar association said.

“It is therefore, respectfully prayed that the physical hearing may kindly be resumed at the earliest so that, pendency is reduced to some extent and litigants who are waiting for their cases to be heard may get justice,” the letter said.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, like many Courts across the country, has been functioning in the online mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Schools across Punjab, that were shut down for physical classes during the Covid-induced lockdown in March last year, reopened on August 2.