Supreme Court to resume physical hearing of cases from April 4

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will commence physical hearing of cases from April 4. "Monday onwards opening we are opening full physically," Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said 

The announcement from the CJI came before the commencement of proceedings in the top court for the day.

"Monday and Friday we will provide links (for virtual hearing) if advocates want," the CJI added.

Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh thanked the bench for the decision. "The Bar expresses its gratitude for this," senior advocate Vikas Singh, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told the CJI.

At present, the Supreme Court has complete virtual hearings on miscellaneous days (Monday and Friday). On other days, the hearings are in physical form, with the virtual option available to advocates.

In March 2020, the Supreme Court switched to complete virtual mode with the onset of the pandemic. In October last year, the court had started physical hearings partially. As per the SOP dated October 7, 2021, the Supreme Court had decided that all the matters listed on Wednesday and Thursday, as non-miscellaneous days, would be heard by it only in the physical presence of the counsels/parties in Court-rooms.

In view of the surge in COVID cases due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, the Supreme Court had reverted to complete virtual hearings from January 7, 2022. On February 7, the top court decided to revert to the only physical hearings on two days a week mode with effect from February 14.