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Only a day after the High Court administration's decision to opt for Hybrid mode for case hearings, three sitting judges of the Allahabad High Court (Principal bench) tested positive for the covid-19 virus on January 4. 

Covid-19 RT-PCR test results of Justice S.P Kesarwani (59), Justice Pritinkar Diwakar (60), and Justice Saral Srivastava (57) came positive on Tuesday. All three judges reside in Prayagraj city. 

It is to be mentioned that post-winter holidays, on account of the recent spike in the number of COVID-19 positive cases at Prayagraj & Lucknow, the High Court, which had been functioning physically before the winter break, had decided that from January 3 onwards, all the courts at both the benches will function only through virtual mode. 

However, on the first day itself, the advocates and the Judges struggled to adapt to the new mode. In many of the cases, the private, as well as State counsel, were not even able to connect to the video conference. In a bundle of cases, the hearings had to be adjourned due to the technical difficulties faced by counsels in the virtual model. 

Thereafter, in the afternoon the Oudh Bar passed a resolution demanding that as most of the bar members have already taken both doses of the covid-19 vaccine they must be allowed to enter the court premises whenever their cases get listed. A similar demand had also risen from the principal bench. 

Also, a protest also took place by a group of lawyers outside the Gate of High Court premises at Allahabad. Following that the High Court Bar Association Allahabad and the Oudh Bar Association Lucknow had officially requested the Chief Justice to review the decision of virtual hearing in High Court and adopt the system of Hybrid Hearing with adherence to all COVID19 protocols.

Consequently, on January 3 evening, a new notification was released, through which supplementary modalities & arrangements had been notified which allowed lawyers to have the option to appear either via video conference or physically for hearings of the matters.

The modified guidelines included that only a limited number of Advocates shall be allowed entry in the Court Rooms and remaining Advocates, whose Cases are listed, shall wait for their turn outside the Court Rooms while following Covid protocols.

Significantly, the counsels had, however, been advised to join through virtual mode to reduce rush in Courts.

Also, the Advocates whose cases get listed will be allowed entry in Court Campus through E-pass and only those Advocates will be allowed entry in the Court Campus whose cases are fixed on that particular date.