It was the first time in the history of the Chhattisgarh High Court that a Chief Justice has conducted hearings virtually. Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha, who is currently in Lucknow due to the health of his mother, decided to continue performing judicial duties in spite of his personal challenges.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual hearings started but were limited to petitioners and lawyers who participated remotely. However, judges continued to see proceedings from inside the High Court premises. This is the first time, ever that a sitting Chief Justice appeared virtually to participate in the hearing of a full-blown case from a different city.
Chief Justice Sinha is in Lucknow observing the ailing mother. He did not delay the court’s work knowing of the growing pile of petitions and how inconvenient it is for the petitioners to keep on attending cases. He, instead, asked the Registrar General to list out matters of both the Division Bench and the Single Bench for hearing. As a result, the first bench meeting in the history of the court was held in a virtual manner as per schedule and set a precedent.
Along with lawyers representing the petitioners and other key parties, Justice Arvind Verma was present in court. At the appointed time, Chief Justice Sinha joined the session virtually from Lucknow. The process went smoothly as Justice Verma laid down the details of the case and talked directly to the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice presided over both the successful Division Bench session and the afternoon hearings in the Single Bench.
It is this landmark event that underscores Justice Sinha’s ceaseless devotion to duty and the adaptability of the Judiciary changing over time through the use of technology. It may also serve to situate the change in court proceedings in the context of a historic shift, but it provides a clear model of leadership, initiative and innovation within the Indian judiciary system.
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