Delhi High Court restores PIL for hybrid hearings in district courts

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restored a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the implementation of hybrid hearings in Delhi’s district courts and tribunals [Anil Kumar Hajelay & Ors v Honble High Court of Delhi]..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna remarked that the lack of hybrid infrastructure in the district courts is a genuine problem.The Court also expressed concern that some district court judges were holding hybrid hearings using court readers’ phones.“What is happening right now is that judges are holding hearings on mobile phones. Readers’ phones. They [petitioners] have pointed out a very important thing and we need to look into it,” Acting Chief Justice Manmohan remarked.The bench asked the Delhi High Court officials to visit the court of a district judge at Tis Hazari where a setup has been created for hybrid hearings.“They have done one room in the court of district judge, Tis Hazari. It has been done pretty well. Take that as a model and let us get it replicated. If you can get it done by March 31, it would be great,” the Acting Chief Justice said. .Petitioner Anil Kumar Hajelay and others had approached the High Court in 2021 with a plea to ensure that infrastructure facilities are put in place for holding hybrid hearings in district courts as well as in quasi-judicial bodies.The plea was disposed of in January 2022 after the Court was informed that the government was in the process of procuring equipment to facilitate the hybrid hearings and that the facility would start very soon.However, the petitioners filed an application in their disposed of plea stating that many fora are yet to provide the facility for hybrid hearings while many fora have closed the option altogether.It was pointed out that lack of infrastructure was hindering the progress of hybrid hearings..After considering the case, the Court held that the petitioner had raised some important issues and therefore, the PIL needed to be restored.When the petitioner pointed out that the situation is the same in quasi-judicial bodies as well, the Court remarked it would first look into the issues in the district courts and then come to the quasi-judicial bodies..The Court finally directed the Delhi High Court to file a status report in the matter and listed the case for further consideration on January 11.