Lower courts in 4 major Guj cities to resume physical hearings from March 1

With significant drop incoronavirus cases, the Gujarat High Court has decided toresume physical functioning of lower courts in four majorcities of the state from March 1.

The courts in Gujarat had ceased their judicial workin March last year following the announcement of coronavirus-induced lockdown. But online hearings had started from June.

Starting January 18, all the lower courts acrossGujarat, except those located in the four major cities-Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot- had resumed work fromtheir respective premises following a high court's directive.

In a circular issued on Friday, the high court saidthat all ''subordinate courts, except in micro containmentzones, at Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot shall startfunctioning physically from March 1 with regular court workinghours of 10.45 am to 6.10 pm''.

All the lower courts in micro containment zones, ifany, shall continue to carry out judicial work through videoconferencing, it said.

Along with the circular, the high court also issuedcertain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which the courtsneed to follow during physical functioning from theirpremises.

The HC said that all the lower courts in these citiesneed to appoint a Covid Officer and dedicated staff ''to plan,oversee, execute and supervise all activities related toCOVID-19''.

There should be only one gate for entry and exit, thehigh court said in the circular while directing that no oneshould be allowed to enter the court premises without wearinga mask.