Staff Reporter :
In the backdrop of relaxation of the lockdown restrictions imposed to prevent Coronavirus infections, all the courts across the country including the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court resumed the judicial activities from August 11 this year.
But the judicial activities of both the divisions of the Supreme Court have not been yet normal shape as most of the Benches are still functioning virtually.
As a result, most of the litigants and lawyers are facing problem as court functions need physical presence of the lawyers and litigants which are not possible in the virtual courts.
Lawyers of the Supreme Court on different occasions urged the Chief Justice to open the regular court functioning in compliance with the hygiene rules.
Taimur Alam Khandaker, a Senior Lawyer of the Supreme Court, earlier said, most of the institutions in
the country have been opened in accordance with the health guidelines. Lawyers are the conscious professional group, therefore, we request the chief justice to open the regular court proceedings in compliance with the hygiene rules, added the lawyer.
The lawyer observed if the normal functioning of a Constitutional court is stopped, the Constitutional rights of the people will also be violated.
In the context of the repeated demand from the Supreme Court lawyers, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain on September 5 permited the High Court Benches concerned to hold hearing of the cases in physical presence.
If any High Court Division Bench wants to hold hearing of the cases in physical presence, then they can do it maintaining the health guidelines strictly, said a notification issued on that day by Md Ali Akbar, Registrar General of the Supreme Court, under the instruction of the Chief Justice. But still most of the Benches of the Supreme Court are functioning virtually.
Almost all the judges of the higher judiciary and most of the lawyers of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) have already been vaccinated, but the physical court functions have not started yet.
Additional Attorney General S M Munir, who is now also Acting Attorney General, said, “Although it is difficult to hold hearing on some issues in the virtual courts, the lawyers are not demanding the physical courts like that anymore. They have already been used to the virtual courts. Besides, the lawyers are getting scopes to hold hearing with multiple courts sitting in one room through virtual process.”
If the situation becomes normal, we hope that all the courts will gradually conduct their activities in physical presence, added the Acting Attorney General.
