Gujarat High Court extends hybrid system of court hearings for all its courtrooms

In a significant move, the Gujarat High Court has extended its hybrid system of court proceedings to all its courtrooms and benches. .This means that court proceedings in the Gujarat High Court can now be attended both physically as well as through virtual means or video conference mode. .The hybrid system was initially launched as a 'pilot project' for four division benches of the High Court in June 2023. This system is now being extended to all courtrooms of the High Court, in view of the pilot project's success. This hybrid mode of functioning for all courtrooms of the High Court is slated to start from tomorrow (September 29) onwards, as per a notification issued by the Registrar General. ."The present pilot implementation exercise of hybrid mode of hearing of cases for the four division benches of the High Court has been successful and smoothly going on for a couple of months. Considering the same and further in compliance of the directions of the Supreme Court of India, the ongoing pilot implementation exercise of hybrid hearing of cases is now implemented on regular basis for all the remaining division benches, Single-Judge benches (and also Larger benches constituted from time to time) of the High Court of Gujarat for all days starting with the Cause-list for September 29, 2023 onwards," the notification stated. .Advocates and parties-in-person seeking to make use of the hybrid system will have to submit their requests online through a link made available on the High Court website, the notification added.