COVID-19: Delhi HC suspends summer break to compensate for work loss

New Delhi, Apr 10: The Delhi High court decided to suspend its summer vacation this year, slated from June 1 to 30, to make up for the loss of working hours due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

The high court has also cancelled the summer break of subordinate courts in June this year.

The decision was taken at a meeting by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel and other judges considering the severe hardship and difficulties being faced by litigants on account of the lockdown and consequent suspension of functioning of the courts that are currently hearing matters of extreme urgency only through video conferencing.

The high court has been hearing only urgent matters since March 16. Besides, all the interim orders passed by it and the trial courts earlier, which were to expire by March 16 or there after, have already been extended till May 15.

The high court resolved Thursday that the courts shall continue functioning during the entire vacation month of June 2020.

"This decision has been taken by the Full Court on April 9, to make up for the loss of court working hours and to ensure restoration of normalcy in the functioning of the courts at the earliest," said a statement issued by the high court.

The resolution said, Since during the period of suspension of work, the hearing is limited to the matters of extremely urgent nature or urgent nature, there is negligible fresh filing of cases, lesser disposal and corresponding escalation in arrears, resulting in extreme hardship to litigants."

It said the September 16, 2019 notification, which had declared the period of the summer vacations for the high court and trial courts here in June this year, is modified.

The resolution said it is hoped and expected that members of the Bar shall extend their full cooperation in making the functioning of the courts meaningful and purposeful during the month of June 2020.