Seniors mention before CJI requesting court to reconsider notification mandating physical hearing on Wednesdays and Thursdays

Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, AM Singhvi, Mukul Rohatgi and SG Tushar Mehta today urged to Chief Justice of India to reconsider the amended Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mandating physical hearings on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

Sibal appraised the court that many matters he has been engaged in are voluminous and the it is humanly impossible for a limited number of counsels as contemplated in the SOP to assist him. He mentioned that Justice Khanwilkar had permitted a hybrid mode of hearing for the constitutional challenge to the powers of ED in PMLA.

Sibal also informed the court that many High Courts have effectively adopted hybrid hearing, he expressed that compulsory physical hearing will make court proceeding cumborsome given the current circumstances.

The Chief Justice of India N.V.Ramana mentioned to the seniors that this decision was taken by the judges of the court under immense pressure from bar associations. After a lot of deliberation, we decided to hold physical holding just for 2 days in a week. This was done pursuant to a 7 member committee formed by the former Chief Justice Bobde and the lawyers will have to express their apprehensions on physical hearing before the committee. Sibal agreed to this and informed the court that the lawyers would appear before the committee and appraise them of their grievance.

The CJI then asked the lawyers to wait till 1 PM so that he could discuss with his brother judges and decided on whether they should entertain such a representation. CJI also expressed that he had to convince his brother and sister judges to amend the SOP to introduce physical hearings for 2 days in a week.

Mr.Vikas Singh, Senior Advocate, intervened and informed the court that he was opposing this. He contended that while the senior advocates could go on a 6 month long vacation without having to appear in a single matter, the juniors are starving. The CJI subsequently intervened and asked the counsels to wait till 1 PM.