7- Judge Committee likely planning into the chances of resuming physical hearings: CJI

Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde on Wednesday reflected that a committee of 7 judge will be looking into the issue of resumption of physical hearing. The oral observation was made while hearing the case relating to reservation after lawyers are requested for the matter to be heard in court and not through video conferencing.  This committee will be headed Justice NV Ramana and will look into the feasibility of resuming physical court hearing in the middle of pandemic. While hearing the plea filed by Bar Council of India which sought for the direction for Centre and state government to arrange financial assistance to the lawyers and to the advocates by the way of interest free loan of 3 lakh to each advocates , the CJI stated that the “unprecedented crisis demands unprecedent resolution”. The plea had declared that the prolonged closure of the court and tribunals all over the country since March 2020 because of lockdown had deprived the majority of the advocates, epically youngster had no savings and solely dependent on the working of the court for their livelihood. CJI Bobde acknowledged the “heavy toll on the rights of citizens and specially the legal fraternity and the legal fraternity is restricted to income beyond by rules. Not entitled to earn income by alternative means. Closure of courts had led to the situation which has rid them of sizeable proportion of their income and therefore livelihood”.