SC declines urgent hearing on plea seeking virtual court hearings be declared fundamental right

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to accord urgent hearing on a plea seeking that virtual court hearings be declared a fundamental right for litigants.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and P S Narasimha told senior advocate Siddharth Luthra that there is no urgency in the matter.

The senior advocate submitted that there is a rise in Covid cases and sought urgent hearing in the matter.

“Hybrid means we will not have pleasure to see you in the court. There is no urgency. All the people are coming to court. If situation worsens we will see,” the bench said.

The apex court said there are more urgent matters like people in jail, bail cases etc.

The top court had earlier said that continuance of courts virtually will be a problem and added that there are many issues in virtual hearings. It had earlier said that hybrid mode of hearing cases is not working and normalcy has to return and courts have to function physically as virtual hearing of cases can’t become a norm.

The top court had said it wants the courts to open for the public and justice accessible for all citizens.

”We have tried hybrid mode, but it’s not working. People are not coming to courts. Normalcy has to return and the courts have to function physically,” it had said.

The top court, which had issued notice in the matter, was hearing a plea filed by NGO National Federation of Societies for Fast Justice and eminent citizens like Julio Ribeiro, Shailesh R Gandhi, seeking to declare virtual court hearing as a fundamental right for litigants.