Delhi pollution: Supreme Court allows lawyers to appear virtually

New Delhi: Amid the severe air pollution in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said all judges have been asked to allow virtual hearings wherever possible, while declining a plea by lawyers to conduct hearing in fully online mode.

Supreme Court Bar Association president Kapil Sibal, along with other counsel mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, raising the issue of the worsening pollution in Delhi and NCR.

“We have told all the judges to allow virtual hearings wherever possible,” the CJI said.

“Pollution is getting out of control,” Sibal submitted.

However, the bench did not acquisce to the submissions that the court should fully go online.

The bench said lawyers have the option to appear online.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan supported the submission made by Sibal.

Mehta said the apex court, as a matter of principle, should go virtual.

“The way we are functioning today, if anybody wants to be online, they can go online," the bench said.

Sankaranarayanan said thousands of lawyers come to the Supreme Court daily using their own vehicles. He said lawyers’ clerks also use personal vehicles often.

"We will leave it to the lawyers concerned. We have given them that facility, whenever you want to appear virtually, you can," the bench said.

Sankaranarayanan said GRAP-IV restrictions are implemented in Delhi-NCR and there are no such specific instructions for courts in the city.

"You have the option; you exercise that option. We will accommodate everyone," the bench said.

On Monday, the Supreme Court's registry issued a circular advising its staff to wear masks due to the alarming pollution levels in the national capital.