The High Court of Delhi has extended all interim orders passed by the court and its subordinate courts to be in force till 31st August 2020. The extension granted is applicable in civil as well as criminal cases.
An order to this effect was passed by a three-judge bench comprising of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, keeping in mind the spread of COVID-19 and the increasing rate of infection.
Delhi has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases. With more than 111,000 cases in the National Capital Territory itself, the court would be at high risk of transmitting the virus if reopened. This decision comes in the interest of the legal fraternity and public in general.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice said that on the first day of the COVID-19 testing camp in High Court, 4-5 staff tested positive and were all asymptomatic.
On 25th March 2020, the court passed an order extending the life of these interim orders which were issued on 16th March 2020. Subsequently, as the court’s functioning was restricted, these orders were given two extensions with the latest one expiring on 15th July 2020.
The matter will be heard next on 24th August 2020.
