Supreme Court To Begin In-Person Hearings From September 1
Supreme Court will switch to hybrid hearings - both physical and virtual - from September 1 amid a dip in the COVID-19 cases in the country. As Mondays and Fridays are admission days, the hearing will be virtual, sources said, adding, on rest of the days, the hearing will be both physical and virtual.
The court is treading the issue very cautiously and depending upon the situation it will take a call on continuing physical hearing on all days, they said.
The Supreme Court had decided to experiment with the "hybrid mode" for the first in March this year, nearly a year after physical hearings were discontinued due to the pandemic. It, however, went back to functioning only in a virtual mode nearly within a month of switching to the hybrid mode amid a surge in infections in the country in April.
Meanwhile, the nine judges, including three women, recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium and accepted by the government for appointment as judges of the top court will take oath in the 900-seater court auditorium on Tuesday.
The oath of office to the new judges is usually administered by the Chief Justice in the court room no. 1. However, due to COVID protocols and to accommodate families of the nine judges, the swearing-in will take place at the auditorium in the new building complex of the top court, the sources said.
The Supreme Court, which has 25 judges against a sanctioned strength of 34, will be left with only one vacancy after the new judges are sworn in.
It is probably the first time that nine names have been recommended for the Supreme Court and all have been approved by the government.