Gauhati High Court's Virtual Hearing Move Over Fuel-Saving Push

In a significant move aimed at fuel conservation and administrative efficiency, the Gauhati High Court has issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for its Principal Seat, Outlying Benches, and subordinate courts across the Northeast.

As per the new guidelines, all matters listed before the courts on Mondays and Fridays will preferably be heard through video conferencing. Dedicated VC links will be provided for every such hearing, while Court Masters have been tasked with coordinating proceedings to ensure smooth functioning.

The SOP also introduces several measures to reduce fuel consumption and streamline administrative operations. Judges of the Gauhati High Court have been encouraged to adopt car-pooling arrangements wherever feasible, while the use of official vehicles for administrative errands has been restricted. Departments and sections have further been directed to combine multiple requirements into single trips whenever possible.

As per the SOP, up to 50 per cent of staff in administrative and judicial sections will attend the office on alternate days, subject to administrative convenience. However, officials exempted under the SOP will continue full physical operations.

The High Court has also strongly emphasised the use of the e-Office platform, directing that all administrative file movements and communications be processed digitally. Physical movement of files has been discouraged unless absolutely necessary.

Staff members working under the roster system but not physically present in the office have been instructed to remain available through telephone, mobile, and e-office during official hours and must be prepared to report to the office at short notice if required. Registrars have been directed to prepare weekly rosters in advance, while Administrative Officers (Judicial) will monitor the e-office dashboard to ensure timely completion of official work.

The SOP further states that all administrative meetings of various committees will now be conducted through video conferencing, with meeting briefs circulated via email.

At the same time, several crucial sections, including the Protocol Section, Filing Section, Copying Section, Bench Section, Computer Section, and the e-Courts Division, have been exempted from work-from-home arrangements and fuel-saving restrictions. The court observed that these wings are essential for maintaining uninterrupted court proceedings, physical coordination, server management, and stable video conferencing infrastructure.

The guidelines have also been extended to district courts across Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. District judges, Chief Judicial Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrates, and Presiding Officers of tribunals and special courts have been directed to issue separate notifications for implementation in their respective jurisdictions.

Additionally, all training programmes conducted by the Judicial Academy, Assam, will now be held through virtual or online mode.

The SOP will come into effect from May 25, 2026, and remain operational until June 26, 2026, after which the situation will be reviewed.