Virtual methods, technologies should become the norm at all levels of judiciary-THE HINDU-25-04-2020

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If every adversity presents an opportunity and every cloud has a silver lining, then the COVID-19 pandemic is the time to bring in innovations and new paradigms in the administration of justice. First, we cannot have vacation court-like functioning during the pandemic and switch magically to the pre-COVID normal after the lockdown. It would be naive to assume that post lockdown, hordes of lawyers will, or should be, allowed to descend upon the SC, and business will resume as usual. Second, during the lockdown, there is no reason why a minimum of two-thirds, indeed all 35, of SC judges should not sit daily.

Indeed, with the state-of the-art technology, judges should not be required to meet and endanger themselves, as is currently happening. The lawyers who fall in this category or would want to come to court are, of course, a minuscule number. Fourth, the strict test of urgency currently applied must be maintained. False urgency claims are the bane of Indian litigation.