SAT to take up only urgent matters during lockdown, releases procedure for hearing

The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Tuesday came out with a procedure for hearing extremely urgent matters during the ongoing nationwide lockdown period.

The tribunal issued standard procedure for e-filing, mentioning and hearing of matters through video conferencing while stating that only matters which involve extreme urgency would be taken up during the lockdown period.

The SAT in a notification said that a case for extreme urgency must be made out by way of a signed and verified application, not exceeding two papers, containing a synopsis of extreme urgency involved.

The parties should be appropriately attired during the hearing through video conference and maintain decorum including the requirement to mute and unmute the microphones during the hearing.

"If the learned advocate or party-in-person does not appear through video conferencing on the scheduled date and at the allotted time slot, the court may proceed to decide the matter on merits, ex-parte. No request for a direction that no adverse order be passed in such a situation will be entertained," the tribunal said.

The tribunal has also issued a standard operating procedure for advocates or party-in-person for participating in such hearing through video conferencing.

It said matters will be heard by the bench for the time being through web-based video conferencing system on the Jisti Meet platform.

The tribunal will remain closed till May 1 because of the nationwide lockdown announced by the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.