Chandigarh, March 16, 2020: In the meeting of Administrative Committee of Punjab and Haryana High Court held on Monday detailed deliberations on the issue of coronavirus outbreak were held.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association also submitted a resolution suggesting various means to tackle the issues and the suggestions made are as under:-
1. All anticipatory bails/Habeas Corpus/Protection Matters will be listed as per the prevalent filing system. In case of urgency the matter will be listed only by mentioning.
2. All other fresh Criminal Matters shall be listed by mentioning only.
3. All fresh Civil Matters will be listed by mentioning only.
4. All ordinary/regular list cases will be adjourned.
5. In case of urgency in ordinary list mentioning will be made before the respective Bench and accordingly case will be posted in urgent on next day or thereafter. However, in case of the States/U. T./Union of India an advance notice of mentioning has to be made by the counsel to the respective representative of the State/U. T./Government of India.
6. Bail/suspension of bail matters will be adjourned for short dates preferably within two to three weeks.
7. It is decided to restrict the entry to the High Court Premises only through Gate No. -I and 2 for all the Advocates/litigants etc.
8. Gate Pass for the litigants will be restricted and will be permitted where there is an order of personal appearance.
9. The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association has also decided to close the Bar Rooms and entry through Gate No. 4 and all canteens will also be closed till further orders.
10. The Medication and Conciliation Centre and Lok Adalat shall also remain closed.
After detailed discussion on the above said suggestions, the Committee resolves to accept the above suggestions. In addition to these suggestions, the Committee further resolves as under:-
1. Those who are not directly involved/associated with a matter listed before this Court, shall not be permitted to enter the Court Premises, till further orders.
2. Henceforth, the ordinary and regular cases mentioned in the Cause List of each Bench shall be adjourned by the respective Reader/Court Secretary/Special Secretary until or unless there is a specific mentioning of a particular case to be taken up for hearing by the learned counsel representing the respective parties. The adjourned date will be communicated through SMS on the registered Mobile Number of the counsels.
3. Medical Teams with Thermal Guns shall be deployed on each entry gate of this Court to check the body temperature of every entrant on said gates. In case, someone is found to have fever, immediate follow up action including the restricting of entry of such person shall be taken up by the Medical Teams stationed at such entry point.
4. All concerned are requested to avoid human contact with others.
Not to form gatherings anywhere and to leave the Court Premises immediately after their work is over.
5. The Advocates are also requested to opt for e-filing, unless unavoidable.
The following persons attended the meeting which was convened in the chamber of the Chief Justice: Atul Nanda, Advocate General Punjab, Baldev Raj Mahajan, Advocate General, Haryana, D.P.S. Randhawa, President, Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association, Karanjit Singh, Chairman, Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana, Rohit Sud, Secretary, Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association, Suvir Sidhu, Secretary, Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana, Mandeep S. Bedi, President of Senior Advocates' Association, Chetan Mittal, Assistant Solicitor General of India and Pankaj Jain, Senior Standing Counsel, U.T. Chandigarh.