Srinagar: Amid rise in COVID cases in the summer capital, the Srinagar District Court has restricted entry of public and only officials of Court and advocates shall be allowed to enter into court premises.
As per the order issued by Principal District and Sessions Judge Srinagar MA Chowdhary, except officers, officials of District Court Complex and advocates, no other person is permitted to enter in the District Court Complex. “And only those shall be permitted entry who are fully vaccinated and possess certificate in this regard.”
It added that advocates in proper uniform shall be allowed entry into the Court premises. “However, advocates shall themselves restrict their entry in a manner that only those advocates enter the Court building on a given day whose cases are listed on that day before any Court,” it said.
The order has also given a choice to advocates that for the time being they are free to file their cases, applications etc either physically or by virtual mode.
As per the order, on entry into the Court building, advocates shall strictly maintain the social distancing, SOPs while waiting for hearing of their cases. “They shall not huddle either in the well or in the gallery outside the Court Rooms. As and when their cases are finished they shall make an endeavour to leave the court premises at once.”
The order provided that advocates into the court rooms shall be regulated case-wise and general entry in court rooms shall continue to remain prohibited. It added that only such advocates shall be allowed entry into a Court room, who may be representing a party in a given case upto the maximum of two advocates for each party.
“As and when a case is called/displayed on a Display Board fixed outside the Court room, the appearing advocates may enter the Court room and shall maintain a distance of six feet between themselves. In the gallery, outside the Court rooms, at the most, advocates representing the parties in other two following cases, according to serial number in the cause list, shall wait for their turn by maintaining the requisite distance,” it said.
“As and when the advocates finish their case in the Court room and exit it, they shall immediately leave the gallery and not stand there.”
As per the order, only those advocates, staff members and any other stake holder will be permitted entry in the court premises who have been vaccinated.
Entry of clerks and agents of the advocates into the Court rooms shall continue to be prohibited for the time being and the entry of witnesses and accused persons shall be permitted subject to strict compliance of latest SOPs pertaining to the containment of COVID19 and vaccination.
Entry of litigants and public into the Court premises from the very outer gate shall continue to be prohibited.
“If, however, any litigant on any reasonable ground is compelled to argue his case personally, he shall be allowed entry into the Court premises subject to the condition that he makes an application at least two days prior to the date of hearing through e-mail to the Presiding Officer of the Court disclosing such compelling reasons and seeking permission in that regard.”