Conducting courts should not lead to spread of COVID-19: Karnataka High Court Chief Justice AS Oka

Cautioning that re-opening of courts should not lead to spread of COVID-19, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka on Tuesday underscored the need for COVID-19 appropriate behaviour from lawyers and litigants amid these trying times. ."My personal appeal to each and every member of the Bar is to please stick to COVID-19 norms. If we don't follow COVID-19 norms, social distancing, use of masks in the presence of the court premises, then somebody will make an allegation against us that we are running the courts and contributing to the spread of COVID-19. That is the last allegation we want to face as the members of the legal fraternity..." said CJ Oka during his address. .He was speaking at the condolence meeting convened by the Advocates Association, Bengaluru (AAB) to pay homage to advocates who lost their lives during the pandemic. The event also saw financial packages being extended to the family members of the deceased advocates..The Chief Justice also quoted the Supreme Court, which in May 2020, had said that the functioning of courts cannot lead to the spread of COVID-19. "It is also essential to note that we the members of the institutional fraternity are in a sense frontline workers...the Supreme Court, in May 2020, has said that the functioning of courts cannot lead to the spreading of COVID-19, so we have to be very careful and I cannot resist the temptation to request the members of the Bar today, in the presence of our Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai.".CJ Oka also expressed his delight at the extraordinary co-operation between the Bar and the Bench in managing the COVID-19 pandemic situation..During his address, he expressed his grief over the fact that 220 members of the Bar, including young and vibrant lawyers, had lost their lives during this pandemic..He also highlighted the need for immediate family members of frontline workers to get vaccinated..CJ Oka further appreciated the vaccination drive conducted by the Advocates Association, Bengaluru..As the meeting drew to a close, financial assistance was handed to the family members of advocates who had succumbed to COVID-19 as well as those advocates who have recovered from the virus. .During the meeting, State Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai assured the gathering that insurance coverage for advocates would be introduced within one month..The Minister further promised to bring into force the Advocates Protection Act.