The Delhi High Court on Sunday decided to extend the sphere of hearing of matters like domestic violence, child custody and criminal appeals where convicts are in custody and eviction, during suspended functioning of courts due to coronavirus pandemic.
The court will take up the matters for disposal from certain categories, which are ripe for final hearing.
The functioning of the high court has been suspended since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and presently, courts are conducting hearings in matters of extreme urgency through video conferencing.
According to an office order, issued by Registrar General Manoj Jain, the high court will now take up matters related to the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, matrimonial issues including maintenance, visitation rights and custody, eviction cases based on bonafide requirement, all criminal appeals, revisions, petitions in which convict is in custody.
The court will also hear motor accident claims tribunals appeals involving death and permanent disability, petitions under certain provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, quashing of criminal case based on settlement through mediation and ex-parte matters.
The aforesaid matters would be taken up for disposal subject to the following conditions. Firstly, such matters should be ripe for final hearing. Secondly, each side would be asked to send point-wise written submissions not exceeding five pages, the order said.
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The administrative order said advocates shall file proper index and mention relevant paragraphs and complete citations in the written submissions.
The court may, wherever found appropriate and necessary, hear oral arguments through video-conferencing, with advance notice. All the counsel of any such case, who are interested in listing their matters in the aforesaid manner, shall send a scanned copy of jointly signed application to the designated email consent-listing.dhc@gov.in" \nconsent-listing.dhc@gov.in within one week.
Such application shall also contain complete particulars of the case, names, mobile numbers and email IDs of all such counsel, it said.
E-filing of non-urgent matters or routine matters is also being permitted by the court, however, they will be taken up for hearing on resumption of regular hearings, the order added.