Coronavirus lockdown: Calcutta High Court to hear only urgent matters via video conferencing

In view of the nationwide lockdown in view of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, the Calcutta High Court has decided to hear extreme urgent matters via video-conferencing through skype conference call.

. As per the Notice issued by the High Court, Advocate-on-Record/Party-in person is first required to file a scanned copy of urgent petition/application and documents, alongwith Form-A or Form-B, whichever is necessary, through an email to ' rghc_cal@rediffmail.com’.

. AOR/Party-in-Person are requested not to send such e-mails to any other e-mail ids.

. The email must contain a prayer for exemption from filing duly affirmed affidavit with an undertaking that deficit court fees will be paid within 48 hours of opening the High Court, after attaining normalcy.

. Thereafter, the AOR/Party-in-person is required to separately email a signed and verified application containing a synopsis of extreme urgency, latest by 2:00 pm on the day preceeding the day of sitting of the High Court's Benches, subject to the permission to do otherwise.

. The application must, inter-alia contain:

- the case-details;

- Bench-details;

- contact details of the AOR/party in-person including e-mail id etc.

. The AOR/Party-in-person are also requested to mention their ‘Skype’ contact details.

. The application must also contain a separate paragraph giving consent that the matter may be taken up through the Video-Conferencing mode, along with the clarification as to whether he/she would link through own desktop/laptop/mobile or would prefer to avail such facility in the High Court premises.

. Upon approval of the urgency by the Presiding Judge of the Bench(es), the case(s) would be enlisted in the cause-list to be published on the High Court website.

. An intimation regarding time of sitting of the Bench(es) and approximate time of the hearing of their case(s) shall also be sent to the concerned AOR/Party-in-Person on the Mobile Number and e-mail as mentioned in the application.

. If the Advocate/Party-in-Person is unable to connect through video-conferencing due to non-availability of hardware/network on any given date, the matter would be listed on the next date and the AOR/Party-in-Person may appear through Video-Conferencing facility available in the High Court premises.

. Since the prevailing situation demands that the persons be discouraged from undertaking any kind of travel, AORs/Parties-in-persons are advised to refrain from exercising the option of participating in the hearing through video-conferencing facility available at the High Court.

. During this period, the Registry would keep only those offices open, with skeletal staff, which may be required to facilitate the holding of the Court for extreme urgent cases.

. Read the Notice:

Coronavirus lockdown: Calcutta High Court to hear only urgent matters via video conferencing

Bar & Bench

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