In Brief

During the COVID-19 outbreak in April 2020, the Supreme Court issued directions under Article 142 of the Constitution to reduce physical presence in courts—including lawyers, litigants, staff, and media—as a preventive health measure. The Court held that this scaling down of conventional operations is constitutionally permissible and necessary to address the pandemic while simultaneously preserving access to justice and the rule of law. The directions were made subject to further orders and implementation by all courts and stakeholders in the judicial system.

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