High Court to take up only urgent matters

Hyderabad: In view of the possible threat of spreading of the coronavirus, the Full Bench of the Telangana High Court on Monday had an emergency meeting and passed a resolution with regard to the functioning of the High Court.

The High Court of Telangana will take up only urgent matters, such as bail applications, interlocutory applications and dire urgent matters, where stay is required.

One division bench and four-single judge benches will function only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, every week until further orders. Since March, 25 is a public holiday on account of Ugadi, the court will function on the next day Thursday, i.e., on March 26.

In the matters of stay expiring, the cases will be automatically listed or on mentioning, the stay will be extended.

Thermal screening of all the persons attending the High Court, including the judges will be done at the entrance.

Advocates whose matters are not listed are not permitted inside the court. No litigant is permitted to attend the court, until further orders. Advocates and party-in-persons cannot entail any adverse orders, according to the resolution.

District courts to follow suit 'We have taken steps to dealt with the coronavirus. We will certainly extend our instructions whenever the things go to normal,' Telangana High Court Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan said.

'Even in the district courts, we have already told our district judges that only take up urgent matters, such as bail matters, temporary injunctions and remands. Litigants are requested not to come to the courts.

No adverse orders will be passed. Counsels, parties, witnesses or an undertrial is not to be produced before the court. Bails are always urgent, whether they may be anticipatory bail or regular bail, will be dealt urgently, CJ expressed.