NEW DELHI, Nov 19: In light of the escalating air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday stated that judges have been instructed to permit virtual hearings wherever feasible. This decision aims to mitigate the impact of the severe pollution levels choking the region.
The announcement was made as a bench comprising the CJI and Justice Sanjay Kumar convened, with senior lawyers, including Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Kapil Sibal, highlighting the deteriorating air quality and urging immediate measures.
“We have told all the judges to allow virtual hearings wherever possible,” said the CJI, emphasizing that lawyers already have the option to appear online.
Sibal called for a broader message to be sent to other courts and tribunals in the national capital to adopt similar measures, stressing, “The pollution is getting out of control.” This plea was supported by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, among others.
Mehta suggested that the Supreme Court itself should fully transition to virtual hearings as a matter of principle. However, the CJI maintained, “The way we are functioning today, if anybody wants to be online, they can go online.”
Sankaranarayanan pointed out that nearly 10,000 lawyers commute to the Supreme Court daily, often using private vehicles, contributing to the pollution crisis. The CJI reiterated that the option for virtual appearances is already available, adding, “We will accommodate everyone.”
The discussion comes as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) hit a season-high of 484 on Monday, with some areas breaching the 500 mark, placing the city in the “severe plus” pollution category. In response, the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR states to deploy teams to strictly enforce restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV, which remains in effect until further notice.
On the administrative side, the Supreme Court has issued a circular advising staff to wear masks and take preventive health measures due to the hazardous air quality. The implementation of GRAP-IV, which includes bans on construction activities and restrictions on non-essential vehicular movement, was triggered after pollution levels worsened over the weekend.
“Everyone is, therefore, advised to ensure the wearing of a mask and taking preventive health measures,” stated the circular issued by the apex court assistant registrar.
The court’s initiative to encourage virtual hearings is seen as a pragmatic step to reduce commuting-related emissions while ensuring the continuation of judicial processes.
