SOP for hybrid hearings: "We have no choice but to take agitational path," SCBA President Vikas Singh says as Supreme Court disposes of challenge

The Supreme Court today disposed of the petition filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) challenging the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) put in place for the hybrid system of hearings at the apex court (Supreme Court Bar Association v. Supreme Court of India)..While doing so, the Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and R Subhash Reddy opined that little can be done on the judicial side and the matter should be tended to by the administrative side of the Court."The matter relates to the administrative working of the Court. Issues have to be ironed out at the Bar...We are of the opinion that on the judicial side, little can be done on this aspect.".We have no choice but to take agitational path.SCBA President Vikas Singh.However, Senior Advocate and SCBA President Vikas Singh took objection to the order."We have no choice but to take agitational path," Singh said. .After the order was read out, counsel appearing for various parties asked the Court to reconsider its order. Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani appearing for SCBA told the Court that the SCBA President was not part of the consultations that led to the finalisation of the SOP..If Your Lordships feel that the Supreme Court is above the law, we will have to take the law in our own hands.SCBA President Vikas Singh.Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra pointed out the lack of facilities for hybrid hearings in trial courts..In response, Justice Kaul said,"Let these issues be decided on the administrative side. You cannot find solutions to everything on the judicial side.".Singh, who had left the hearing after the Court's pronouncement, reappeared to say,"If Your Lordships feel that the Supreme Court is above the law, we will have to take the law in our own hands." Taking objection to Singh's retort, the Court said,"This approach will take you nowhere.".The SCBA petition and other tagged matters along with it were thus disposed of, with the Court opining that the matter should be dealt with on the administrative side..In an allied matter relating to crowd management in district courts (Vertika Sharma v. High Court of Delhi), the Court opined that the issue should be sorted out by the Delhi High Court on the administrative side. Delhi High Court Bar Association President Mohit Mathur assured the Court that Luthra and her representatives would be given a personal hearing on the issues raised..In another matter on system of hearings at quasi-judicial bodies, the Court observed that these issues will also be dealt with by the administrative side of the Delhi High Court..In its petition, the SCBA had stated that the SOP for hybrid physical hearings was issued by the Registry of the Supreme Court without consultation with the Bar even though Bar is an equal stakeholder in the justice delivery system..It was also contended that if virtual hearings are allowed to continue permanently, it will disturb the level playing field in the profession by allowing lawyers to argue from territories where the members of SCBA do not have opportunity to argue due to lack of reciprocity..[SCBA challenge to Hybrid hearing SOP] Judges Committee should hear new Bar President to iron out differences: Supreme Court .Along with the SCBA’ s plea, the Court had also heard a plea by All India Association of Jurists, a Chennai-based organisation of lawyers, praying that the option given to lawyers/litigants to appear before the Supreme Court through video conference should be continued as "a matter of right" even after the Court resumes physical hearing..This petition effectively supported the hybrid hearing SOP issued by the apex court and sought continuance of the same so that lawyers and litigants from far-off places will be able to appear before the Supreme Court without coming to Delhi..[BREAKING] Chennai based lawyers' body moves Supreme Court to continue option of virtual appearance as "a matter of right" .[Read an account of today's hearing]