Bombay HC Resumes Virtual and Hybrid Hearings After Supreme Court's Stern Remarks

Mumbai: After stern remarks from the Supreme Court for discontinuing the video conferencing facility, the Bombay High Court announced on Monday that it would commence virtual and hybrid hearings of cases starting from Tuesday.

The High Court issued a notice stating that from Tuesday, all its benches can be accessed virtually by stakeholders involved in the cases listed before the courts. They can attend or participate in hearings virtually through the hybrid video conferencing facility.

Pandemic driven virtual hearings

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the High Court started hearing matters online through video conferencing. However, this practice was discontinued, and only physical hearings were conducted when coronavirus cases dropped considerably, and lockdowns were lifted.

Only the bench led by Justice Gautam Patel continued hearings in the hybrid mode.

Upon specific requests from advocates appearing from outside Mumbai, some judges, especially the Chief Justice, permitted the concerned lawyers to appear virtually.

The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, on October 6, stated that no high court in the country shall deny access to video conferencing or hearing through the hybrid mode to lawyers and litigants after two weeks. The Supreme Court also made it clear that technology is not a matter of choice for judges now.