On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court restored a public interest litigation (PIL) petition advocating for the adoption of hybrid hearings within Delhi's district courts and tribunals.

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna, constituting a Division Bench, highlighted the genuine issue of inadequate hybrid infrastructure within the district courts.

Additionally, the Court expressed its concern regarding certain district court judges conducting hybrid hearings through the use of court readers' phones.

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan noted the current situation where judges are conducting hearings using mobile phones, specifically court readers' phones, stating, "What is happening right now is that judges are holding hearings on mobile phones. Readers’ phones. They [petitioners] have pointed out a very important thing and we need to look into it."

The bench directed Delhi High Court officials to visit a district judge's court at Tis Hazari, where a setup for hybrid hearings has been established, emphasizing the need for inspection and assessment.

In 2021, petitioner Anil Kumar Hajelay and others approached the High Court with a plea to mandate the establishment of infrastructure facilities facilitating hybrid hearings in both district courts and quasi-judicial bodies.

The plea was resolved in January 2022 following assurances that the government was procuring necessary equipment for imminent implementation of hybrid hearings. Subsequently, the petitioners filed an application within the resolved plea, highlighting that several forums had yet to institute the hybrid hearing facility, while others had altogether discontinued the option.

The hindrance to the advancement of hybrid hearings was attributed to the absence of adequate infrastructure. After considering the case, the Court held that the petitioner had raised some important issues and therefore, the PIL needed to be restored.

Upon the petitioner's mention of a similar situation in quasi-judicial bodies, the Court indicated a sequential approach, intending to address issues within district courts before extending its focus to quasi-judicial bodies. Ultimately, the Court instructed the Delhi High Court to submit a status report regarding the matter and scheduled the case for subsequent review on January 11.

Case Title - Anil Kumar Hajelay & Ors v Honble High Court of Delhi