Supreme Court to begin hybrid mode hearings: Lawyers will have option to appear either physically or virtually in physical courts

The Supreme Court will soon begin hearings via hybrid mode where the option to appear in the physical courts either physically or virtually will be at the option of the party (AOR/Advocate/Party in Person)..In the Supreme Court coordination committee's meeting held on January 13 and attended by officials from the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association, it was clarified that "physical courts would begin operating in hybrid manner very soon.".Physical hearing in Supreme Court likely to resume from March 2021; Maratha Reservation case to be heard from March 8.Under the hybrid system, when a matter is heard in physical court, the parties will have the option to appear either physically or virtually. In other words, when a matter is heard in physical court, one party can appear physically and the other party can appear virtually. .The requisite standard operating procedure and other details will be soon released..Earlier a press release issued by the Bar Council of India (BCI) gave the particulars of the meeting, which was convened between the leaders of the Bar and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde to discuss the resumption of physical hearings at the Supreme Court.."From today's meeting, it is clear that the physical hearings are going to start start in Apex Court within 3-4 weeks," the release stated..However, it was further informed that the physical hearing will be in a limited manner and a hybrid method of physical and virual hearing will be followed..Interestingly, the press release had added that Senior Counsel Vikas Singh suggested that for virtual hearings, only lawyers present in Delhi should be allowed and that the same can be done through "cable connections either in lawyers chambers or in cubicles (to be installed in the premises of the Supreme Court).".Supreme Court planning to resume physical hearing by first week of March: BCI press release