500+ Supreme Court Lawyers Write to CJI to Request for Restarting Physical Hearings

Lawyers practising before the Supreme Court today made a written representation before the Chief Justice of India to press for starting the physical system of hearing again. While the lawyers appreciated the adoption of virtual mode in response to the pandemic, they also pointed out to the anomalies in the virtual mode of working.

The virtual hearing system has failed to serve adequately as the affective justice delivery system.

The lawyers summarized the crux of their request in the following 5 points.

1. Network connectivity issues.
2. No proper management by the Registry, regarding the virtual hearing.
3. No response to the calls by the dealing officers in hand mentioning branch.
4. Dismissal of mentioning of urgent matters by the mentioning branch without providing any reason for the same.
5. More than 50% of young practitioners of this Bar have been constrained to leave Delhi as they were unable to meet out their living expenses. 6. Members staying in Delhi NCR, and practicing before this Hon'ble Court have huge effect on their earnings due to which, either they have to depend on their family or on odd jobs.

It was also suggested that the virtual hearing system should complement the physical mode of hearing.