KHCAA says no to Saturday court sittings, opposes virtual hearings on Mondays and Fridays

The Kerala High Court Advocates Association (KHCAA) has once again opposed the proposal to hold regular court sittings on two Saturdays every month, reaffirming the stand it had taken earlier this year after being asked to reconsider the issue by the Kerala High Court administration..The Bar body also objected to conducting virtual hearings every Monday and Friday, stating that the present hybrid system is functioning effectively and should not be altered.The decision was taken at a General Body meeting held on June 1, after the association received communications from the Kerala High Court regarding both proposals.On May 21, the High Court Registrar General informed the association that the Full Court had considered a proposal made by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant to hold regular sittings on two Saturdays every month. The KHCAA was requested to review its earlier decision opposing the move and to find out whether lawyers were willing to work on Saturdays to tackle the disposal of cases pending for over 20 years.Following discussions, the members unanimously decided to reiterate its earlier stand against Saturday sittings.The association had previously opposed the proposal, stating that it would significantly affect advocates, particularly those travelling from districts outside Ernakulam to appear before the High Court. The KHCAA had instead suggested extending court working hours on regular working days by 30 minutes..The KHCAA also considered a communication seeking its views on the austerity measures initiated by the Supreme Court of India in light of the recent developments in the country.The members have objected to the proposal for conducting virtual hearings every Monday and Friday, observing that the existing system already permitted lawyers to appear online whenever necessary.It was pointed out that after the COVID-19 pandemic, a workable balance has been achieved between physical and virtual hearings and many advocates regularly attended their offices near the High Court to meet with clients and to carry out their professional work..The proposal for High Courts to sit on at least two Saturdays each month has been under consideration across various High Courts after the CJI proposed the same to tackle case pendancy.However, the proposal has faced resistance from several Bar associations, including those in Delhi and Allahabad.