As a precautionary measure in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed all courts at district and sub-divisional level in Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh to restrict their functioning to urgent cases till further order.
The High Court, in continuation ofi ts earlier order issued with regard to precautionary measures against COVID-19, has directed all courts at district and sub-divisional level in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to take up only bail matters and matters requiring urgent stay-injunction, till further orders. The remaining matters shall be adjourned.
However, the court can proceed to hear any matter in which counsel for both the sides give sufficient reasons for urgency to hear the matter. The matter fixed for final argument, including time-bound matters shall be adjourned to a date beyond March 31, said the order.
The court also said that no undertrial prisoner would be produced before the subordinate courts and facility of videoconferencing be utilised for the said purpose.
The Chandigarh Judicial Academy would suspend all its institutional training programmes.
Earlier, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana had unanimously resolved to request the advocates to abstain from work in all the courts and quasi judicial tribunals till March 31.
Bar polls postponed
The bar council also decided to postpone the elections for district bar associations from April 3 to April 17, said former chairperson Vijender Singh Ahlawat.
