COVID19: J&K High Court functioning restricted to urgent matters

Jammu, Mar 16: With a view to prevent spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Monday issued a circular restricting the functioning in both of its Jammu and Srinagar wings to urgent matters only.
According to the circular, functioning in both the wings of the High Court from March 16, 2020 to March 31, 2020 shall be restricted to urgent matters.
The Advocates, litigants and parties in person shall mention their matter(s) by providing number and stage of the matter(s) on daily board, showing the urgency before the concerned Registrar Judicial through e-mail (Registrar Judicial Jammu: [email protected], Registrar Judicial Srinagar: [email protected]) by 3 pm of the previous day and upon satisfaction about the urgency, the Court may hear such matter(s), the circular reads.
In all other listed matters dates would be given by the Bench Secretaries and dates in such matters shall be communicated through e-Courts platform.
The Bar Associations and the Advocates shall make sure that entry of the litigants in the Court shall be restricted to the cases where the presence is unavoidable and in such cases only one person may be called. The Bar Associations of both the wings of the High Court shall ensure that there shall be no crowding in the Court complex including the lawyers’ chambers. They shall also defer all their public functions involving gathering.
It also says that the Advocates shall advise their clients not to visit the Court unless their presence is directed by the Court or is unavoidable.
Registrar Judicial of both the wings of the High Court shall ensure sanitization of the complexes and availability of sanitizers in Court rooms and all other Sections of the Registry for the staff, and at some conspicuous places in the complexes for the Advocates and visitors.
Besides thermal screening of the visitors to the Court complexes shall be ensured through the officials of the Health Department posted in the respective Wings of the High Court.
While as all official functions involving gathering shall stand deferred and Canteens and the Bar rooms will not remain operational till further orders.
Considering the importance of the safety measures for health, all concerned shall cooperate with the instructions of the staff on duty, in the interest of all, the circular adds.