COVID-19: J-K High Court restricts work to 'urgent matters'

In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday issued a circular restricting work in both of its Jammu and Srinagar wings to only urgent matters till March 31.

"Functioning in both the wings of the High Court from March 16, 2020 to March 31, 2020 shall be restricted to urgent matters," read the circular.

"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: soniagupta265@gmail.com, Registrar Judicial Srinagar: massarat.shaheen@gmail.com) by 3 pm of the previous day and upon satisfaction about the urgency, the Court may hear such matter(s)," the circular added.

The directive added that in all other listed matters dates would be given by the Bench Secretaries and dates in such matters shall be communicated through the e-Courts platform.

"The Bar Associations and the Advocates shall make sure that entry of 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 added.

The circular further said that the canteens and Bar rooms will not remain operational until further orders.