COVID-19: Bar Council of Delhi urges HC to set up app for hearing matters

The Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to set up an app or any other mechanism for hearing more matters as some of the advocates are not able to avail video conferencing facility during the lockdown period.

The lawyers' body claimed that in some cases, where hearing is required for interim relief, matters are not being taken up and if regular hearing is not possible, some broad parameters and protecting measures be introduced to hold a few courts by restricting the entry of advocates.

"Since most of the advocates are not in a position to avail video conferencing facility fully, it may also be considered to set up an app or any mechanism to give effect to hearing in more matters," BCD Chairman K C Mittal said in a letter addressed to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel.

The BCD said to contain the spread of coronavirus, the courts also stopped its regular functioning and initially confined to take up extremely urgent matters through video conferencing, which was later partially relaxed to increase the number of benches and take up cases of urgent nature.

"The experience of these days has not been very encouraging, since barring a section of advocates, majority of advocates in the high court and district courts, those who are not computer savvy and could not avail the facility of video conferencing, failed to approach the courts. Many advocates have apprised us that they are not able to approach the courts even in genuine cases, Mittal said.

The letter added that in terms of the Supreme Court's direction, the high court had granted relief to undertrials but looking into the overall situation, it may be necessary to evolve a system, where more hearing can take place in matters to obviate public suffering.