The Manipur High Court switched to the hybrid mode of sitting, wherein allowing the litigants and advocates to participate in court proceedings both physically and through video conferencing. Therefore, the same aims to streamline the legal process, promote convenience, and ensure efficient delivery of justice in these challenging times.
The Manipur High Court has also outlined guidelines for advocates and litigants to follow, under the new Standard Operating Procedure, SOP for the hybrid hearings being issued to this effect by the Registrar Judicial.
It has also been stated in the said notification that the cause list, containing the schedule of cases, can be downloaded from the court’s website, the District Collector’s Office, or is obtained by calling the dedicated helpline number and this information is also available at the E-Sewa Kendra counters, facilitating easy access for all concerned parties.
Therefore, in order to expedite urgent matters, litigants filing their cases electronically are required to send a memo, including the case number, e-filing number, and CNR number and this in turn ensures that necessary attention is to be given to the cases of time-sensitive.
Further, the Advocates and litigants who wish to appear before a bench via video conferencing have been asked to follow the CISCO Webex Manual and that the cause list includes specific links to the video conferencing platform for each of the bench.
The participants during the video conferencing are required to enter their name and item number accurately to ensure proper identification and is has been made mandatory to keep the camera on throughout the session and the failure to comply with these requirements may result in removal from the video conferencing session, as it has been directed by the bench.
It has also been stated in the order that the number of persons allowed in each video conferencing session will be determined by the bench based on the capabilities of the software and other relevant factors and further the participants have been advised not to unmute their microphones until their item number is being called upon in order to prevent disturbance or overlapping of sound.
Further, all the participants have been asked to maintain proper decorum, akin to a physical courtroom setting, and be appropriately dressed during the proceedings through video conferencing.
The notification issued also stated that recording, publishing, or sharing of the video conferencing proceedings is strictly prohibited to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the court.
The notification issued also mandates that it being important to note that any act performed by a participant during the video conferencing session that is unrelated to the hearing or done without the permission of the bench may result in disconnection from the session and then the bench will then take appropriate action as deemed necessary.