Having considered the steps already taken by this Court to combat the impending threat of coronavirus (2019-nCOV) and considering the prevalent situation, particularly in view of the lockdown declared by the Government in the National Capital Territory of Delhi upto 31.03.2020 and in view of request of Bar Associations for complete closure of the Courts, in supersession of earlier notifications in this regard, the Administrative and General Supervision Committee of this Court has resolved as under:
i. The functioning of this Court as well the Courts subordinate thereto is hereby. suspended till 04.04.2020.
ii. In case of any fresh matter of extreme urgency, the Registrar/Joint Registrar (Filing) and Registrar/Joint Registrar (Original) of this Court be contacted telephonically. Hearing of such matter would be through video conference.
iii. As regards the Courts subordinate to the High Court, the following directions are issued, which shall come into effect immediately:
(a) The respective District and Sessions Judges shall prepare a roster of Judicial Officers for dealing with remand related to fresh arrests. For fresh matters of extreme urgency, one Administrative Officer (Judicial) be nominated in each District who can be contacted telephonically by the Advocate/party. Necessary directions be issued and uploaded on the website by the concerned District & Sessions Judges.
(b) The matters which are already fixed upto 04.04.2020, be adjourned en-bloc to subsequent dates and the information in this regard be uploaded on the website of the District and entered into CIS so that auto generated messages are received by a” concerned.
(c) The concerned District and Sessions Judges shall ensure that in view’ of the above directions, only those staff officials, who are residing in Delhi and are using own conveyance, are called for handling indispensable services, as aforesaid. However, as already directed, all those staff officials, who are not required to report for duty on any given day, would not leave the station under any circumstance. They would always be available on call and would be deemed to be on duty. In case of any urgency, District and Sessions Judge may call upon them to report back for duty immediately. Record with respect to roster of all such court staff officials shall be maintained by each district.
(d) Delhi Judicial Academy shall suspend all its training programmes and court attachments till 04.04.2020.
iv. ‘Lockdown/suspension of work’ of Courts shall be treated as “closure” within the meaning of the Explanation appended to Section 4 of the Limitation Act, 1963 and other enabling provisions of the Act and other Statutes, as may be applicable to court proceedings. Thus, limitation for any court proceeding shall not run w.eJ. 23.03.2020 till 04.04.2020 subject to further orders.
v. All Court rooms and other parts of the court complex (including lawyers chambers) of the High Court and Courts subordinate thereto would remain closed except those which are required to be opened in connection with the directions as given hereinabove.
Delhi High Court
[Office Order dt. 23-03-2020]