The Manipur High Court has notified that regular court sitting for the high court and district courts or tribunals in the state will be regulated till February 16 as per guidelines in view of the COVID-19 pandemic in anticipation of the resumption of the regular physical court sitting.
According to the notice, all courts in Manipur will take up motion cases, limited urgent regular and pending cases through video conferencing on various dates to be fixed, depending on the nature of urgency for early or regular listing. The court proceedings, including special ordered cases, should be done through video conferencing facilities.
The holding of limited physical court for the High Court will be decided by the concerned judges after taking into account the need, nature and stage of the case and with the permission of the chief justice. Maintaining strict COVID-19 protocol and social distancing is a must, the court stated.
The notification also stated that for the district courts or tribunal holding of the limited physical court will be decided by all concerned presiding officers. The fresh cases should be filed by email in soft copy format. Hard copies of the cases already filed through email filing so far have to be submitted to the concerned courts after restrictions are relaxed.
For the High Court, the filing of fresh cases and other applications or documents will be accepted through email at hcmefilling@gmail.com without restriction. Hard copies of the cases already filed through email so far have to be submitted to the Registry when regular court work resumes. Any urgent listing for the day will be considered on an application in the approved format when made before the Registry and it will be placed before the chief justice for appropriate order.
Court hour will be from 10.30 am to 4 pm or till the discharge of cause list whichever is earlier.
Advocates who enter court complexes for any reason have to maintain strict social distancing and subject themselves to thermal scanning and COVID screening. COVID-19 protocol should be maintained.
Manipur Judicial Academy will conduct online training programmes during COVID pandemic.
In view of the hardship faced by the common people during the covid-19 pandemic, Manipur State Legal Services Authority should take up urgent legal services activities at all levels, as may be possible following Covid-19 protocol.
Pending cases, other than listed cases, fixed for hearing on a day-to-day basis up to February 16 should be adjourned to subsequent dates in respect of High Court and District Courts. This will not apply to Special Courts and trials as directed by the Supreme Court and High Court. The information in this regard is to be uploaded on the website of the District Court. It shall also be pasted on notice board.
The interim orders granted by the High Court for a specified date in pending cases stand extended till the next date of effective hearing. The interim orders granted by the District Courts/Tribunals in pending cases for a specified date should be extended till the next date of effective hearing. Similar arrangements should be made by all the respective Juvenile Justice Boards of the districts.
As far as the High Court is concerned, all Officers and staff of the High Court should attend office on all working days. However, such Officers/ staff who are residing in the containment zones are exempted from attending office on written permission from the Registrar General.
Digitization and Scanning work should continue. However, those who are from the containment zones are exempted with the written permission of the CPC.
As far as District Courts/Tribunals are concerned, the Presiding judges shall ensure attendance of staff for the purpose of the court sitting and office work. Those residing in the containment zones are exempted from attending office on written permission from the Presiding Judge. Entry to the Bank and Post Office in High Court Complex will be restricted and regulated in view of strict Covid-19 protocol.
