Report regarding functioning of District Courts during Covid-19 situation-

steps taken to contain spread of Pandemic Infection.

With the very inception of this Pandemic Corona infection, various steps
have been taken so far. In 2020 itself, all the District Courts have been directed
to take steps to reduce footfall in the premises of Courts for the interest of
Judicial Officers, Staff, Ld. Lawyers, Litigants and other Stake holders along
with to maintain functioning of the Courts as well such as to maintain proper
sanitization facilities, awareness of all stakeholders, installation of transparent
curtains inside the Court rooms and hearing of cases through Virtual mode.
In 2nd wave of Covid-19, Pandemic this year in 2021, due to sudden surge
in Covid cases, several directions have been issued to the District & Sub-
divisional Court regarding the functioning of Courts and to accelerate
Vaccination drive programme.
In this context, a brief report is being submitted herewith, which are being
broadly categorized under following five (05) heads:-

1. Minimum footfall in the premises and maintain proper sanitization

facilities (Vide this Court’s letter no. 21217- 21254 dt. 26.04.2020 and
letter no. 22805-841 dt. 05.05.2020).
 To take steps for restricting the physical presence of all
stakeholders within the court premises.
 Vide this Court’s letter no. 26519-555 dt. 12.06.2020 it was
directed to take steps for following the social distancing guidelines
issued by the Central Government/ State Government (In
accordance with the S.O.P. dated 04.06.2021, published by the
Ministry of Health from time to time).
 To take steps for maintaining best public health practices such as
face mask, hand wash facilities and proper sanitization facilities of
public utilities etc.
 To take steps for preventing free entry of lawyers/ litigants/
vendors/ unwanted persons in the Court premises by introducing
pass system.

2. Installation of transparent curtain inside the Court room (vide

Court letter no. 25507-25543 dt 04.06.2020).
 It was directed to install a transparent curtain in each Court room
of District Judiciary with the facility of sparse sitting arrangement
to maintain social distancing with Ld. Judicial Officers sitting on
one side and the Ld. Advocates and Litigants on other side.

3. Installation of Studio based Virtual Court (as per report sibmitted by

the Computer Cell).
  On perusal of the letter no. 185/2021 dated 13.01.2021 of the MD,
BSEDC, Patna it transpires that Video Conferencing equipments
and Display units were installed and commissioned in the District
Courts of Bihar by M/s Benchmark on 25.11.2020.
 MPLS Connectivity (Primary) was also commissioned and
discovered in NMS by M/s BSNL, except Gaya due to site is not
ready for said purpose.
 MPLS Connectivity (Secondary) was also comissioned and
discovered in 78 Courts out of 79 Courts by M/s Airtel, except
Saharsa due to permission issues for installation of Tower at Court
end.

4. Vaccination of Judicial Officers and Staff (report was asked from all
the Judgeships vide this Court’s letter no. 22231-67 dt. 06.05.2021).
 Out of total 1375 Judicial Officers posted in the District & Sub-
divisional Courts of Bihar, 846 have been vaccinated with 1 st dose
while 140 Judicial Officers have been vaccinated with 2nd dose as
well.

 Out of 8896 Staff posted in the Judgeships of Bihar, 3554 have

been vaccinated with 1st dose while 475 of them, have been
vaccinated with 2nd dose as well and 1481 Staff have got registered
themselves for vaccination who are yet to get vaccinated.

5. Directions issued time to time regarding functioning of Courts.

 Earlier vide this Court’s letter no. 25067-25103 dt 01.06.2020, all
the District & Sessions Judges were inter alia been directed that
“Till the lockdown continues, the Court of District & Sessions
Judge and one (1) Court each in the cadre of District Judge (Entry
Level) (ADJ) and Special Court (ADJs), Civil Judge (Sr. Division)
and Civil Judge (Jr. Division), will run in physical mode, on
rotation basis, while remaining Courts will conduct their
proceeding through virtual Court proceedings.
Further, it was also directed that after the lockdown is over and 50%
Courts will function physically, at both District & Sub-Divisional Level
and 50% through virtual mode depending upon the infrastrcture and
subject to discretion of the District Judge.
 Vide this Court’s letter no. 33722-758 dt. 29.08.2020, inter alia it
was directed to all the District Judges to run all the Courts in
virtual mode by evolving mechanism suitable to your Judgeship for
taking up of all categories of cases and all types of matter,
including recording of evidence and final hearing.
 It was further directed to explore the possibilities of running certain
no. of Courts in physical mode at your own discretion to the extent
possible. Further moreot was alos directed to take steps to avoid
congregation and to ensure minimum footfall in the Court premises.

 Vide this Court’s letter no. 22091-127 dt. 04.05.2021, the

instructions were issued to all the learned District & Sessions
Judges of Bihar-
“…all the Courts of District Judiciary, State of Bihar, shall only take up
the extremely urgent matters, such as remand etc. and that too, unless
otherwise not possible, only through virtual mode…”.
 The instructions contained in the aforesaid letter were further
extended from time to time vide Court’s earlier letters bearing Nos.
22388-22424 dt. 16.05.2021 and 22664-22700 dt. 22.05.2021.
 Recently, vide letter no. 23038-74 dt. 29.05.2021, further it has
been made clear that all the Courts of District Judiciary may take
up extremely urgent matter also including Bail, Criminal
Revision, Criminal Misc. etc. and that too, unless otherwise not
possible, only through virtual mode.

Further the report regarding virtual settings done in the

Subordinate Courts during Covid 19 may be obtained from the
Computer Cell.