After eight long months, the Nagpur Bench of the High Court of Bombay and subordinate Courts will resume the physical hearing from December 1. The timings will be as per the board notifications from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm. The office time of the registry shall be between 10 am to 5 pm.
In order to main overcrowding the matters shall be divided and heard in two sessions, specific indication of which shall be given in the Cause list of respective Court.
The court takes up matters through physical mode will not entertain any matter through virtual mode. For mentioning circulation of matters, lawyers have been asked to follow social distance guidelines.
Physical hearing in two shifts in district court: In physical court the hearing will start from December 1st and the matters will be conducted in two shifts. In each shift the judicial working time will be two and a half hours.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the resumption of physical hearing at the Nagpur Bench of the High Court of Bombay with effect from 1st December 2020:
- The Courts taking up matters through physical mode will not entertain any matter through virtual mode. Request for Virtual hearing of any matter may therefore not be made.
- All shall follow social distancing guidelines. In the first row not more than 4 Advocates or Party in Person shall be allowed.
- No over-crowding at any given point of time shall be allowed either for Mentioning for circulation of the matter or during hearing. At a time Advocates or party appearing in person and GP as well as AGP Etc. for 3 cases will be allowed in the Court Hall.
- In case of fresh matter, the Advocate/ Party-in-person shall first submit the matter at the Drop Box facility at Central Hall Ground Floor of the bench, and may then seek circulation by mentioning said stamp/lodging number to be collected after 48 Hours and setting out the urgency.
- In case of mentioning a matter which has been filed after lockdown, the date of filing original papers (Hard Copy filing) be mentioned on the circulation slip.
- No Circulation Slip without mentioning number of the matter will be entertained.
- The Court working hours will be 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Office time of the Registry shall be between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- To observe strict norms of social distancing entry into the Court Room for the purpose of attending physical hearings shall stand restricted to one Advocate per party whose Vakalatnama is on record or who has been duly authorized and whose case is listed for hearing on Board of concerned Court.
- Senior Counsel / ongoing counsel engaged by any such Advocate.
- Registered clerk only for limited purpose of delivering heavy and bulky case files of such Advocates at the designated point.
- Entry in the Court Room shall be permitted to those Advocates /Party-in-person whose matter is called out for hearing and also for the Advocates whose matter is immediate next subject to availability of space.
- Advocates should discourage their clients from attending Courts, unless their presence is absolutely required.
