Calcutta High Court, lower courts to function with skeletal staff; only extremely urgent matters to be taken up

In view of the Coronavirus pandemic and public safety, it has been notified that the Calcutta High Court will function with skeletal staff and for only extremely urgent matters from Monday onwards. Allied instructions have also been issued in respect of lower courts in the State..To this end, the Registry has been directed to identify the Departments which are essentially required to man the Court and those departments should be run by skeletal staff on a rotation basis..During this time, arrangements are expected to be made to transport judges and the court staff to the Court. .The notification issued yesterday also intimates the limited Benches that will be sitting from Monday onwards to hear such urgent matters as follows: Chief Justice Thottathil B.Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee will sit together and take Public Interest Litigation and Writ AppealsJustices Dipankar Datta Joymalya Bagchi will sit together and take all criminal matters and matters arising out of orders of all Tribunals constituted under Articles 323A and 323B of Constitution.Justices Sanjib Banerjee IP Mukerji will sit together and take all Civil Appeals in the Appellate Side and all Original Side Appeals.Justice Dipankar Datta will sit singly, after the Division Bench, and take all Appellate Side Writ Matters.Justice Sanjib Banerjee will sit singly, after the Division Bench, and take civil matters in the Appellate Side.Justice I.P.Mukerji will sit singly, after the Division Bench, and take all Original Side single Bench including Writ matters.Justice Joymalya Bagchi will sit singly, after the Division Bench, and take all criminal matters required to be taken up by a Single Bench..[Read the Notification]