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Coronavirus outbreak: SC shut from Tuesday, urgent matters to be heard via video-conferencing

Meanwhile, the lawyers’ chambers at the Delhi High Court will be closed from 6 pm today till March 31.

Coronavirus outbreak: SC shut from Tuesday, urgent matters to be heard via video-conferencing

Supreme Court (Photo: Getty Images)

The Supreme Court on Monday said the lawyers chambers inside the court premises will remain shut from Tuesday 5 pm onward in view of the Coronavirus outbreak.

The top court also said that there will be no more in-person hearings till further orders.

For the first time, the Supreme Court will conduct video conferencing to hear urgent matters.

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The court is “working out a system so that lawyers can argue cases from home,” CJI SA Bobde said.

“Soon links will be given to lawyers and they can sit wherever and argue the cases. We will soon announce how to download the links for adding video to call,” the CJI said and added, “Videoconferencing can be done by lawyers sitting in their own offices.”

Meanwhile, lawyers and advocates working in Supreme Court will not be working till April 4, announced the Supreme Court Advocates On-Record Association, citing the Delhi lockdown and Coronavirus pandemic.

The association has also appealed to the Chief Justice of India to suspend all work at the Supreme Court premises and shut down the area in the interest of all.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced a lockdown in Delhi till March 31. Starting Monday, the national capital has gone on a complete lockdown with only essential services such as medical care, media and grocery being available to the public.

Last week, the CJI had said that video conferencing facility will be set up to hear the matters within a week and smart TVs will be installed for the media to cover the cases to dissuade them from entering the court rooms.

Meanwhile, the lawyers’ chambers at the Delhi High Court will be closed from 6 pm today till March 31.

In India, seven people have died, over 400 have so far been infected due to Coronavirus.

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