As Delhi’s temperature neared 50°C, the Supreme Court urged lawyers to join hearings virtually to avoid the extreme heat. It encouraged online appearances but stopped short of mandating them, noting potential accessibility issues for many practitioners in India.
The Supreme Court of India, as temperatures in the national capital climbed to around 50 degrees Celsius, on Wednesday appealed to members of the Bar to attend court proceedings virtually.
Although the apex court strongly encouraged shifting to online hearings to shield lawyers from the extreme weather, it refrained from issuing a compulsory judicial order, citing concerns about possible accessibility challenges for individual practitioners.
A three-judge bench Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi was hearing a petition that sought directions for all Delhi courts, including district courts, to move online for a three-month period in the interest of the nation.
The bench observed,
“The temperature in Delhi is touching 50 degrees Celsius and it may not be conducive for senior members to come in public transport. Best is online,”
However, it avoided issuing a blanket mandate, noting the need to account for practical difficulties faced by lawyers.
The bench stated,
“We appreciate the initiative taken by the petitioner. However, it may not be prudent to issue judicial command for members to appear online without knowing the difficulties faced by them; consequently, we deem it appropriate to not issue any directions,”
The Supreme Court’s appeal arrives amid a broader push to digitize court processes across India.
Earlier, On May 21, Chief Justice Surya Kant said he had formally requested all high courts to hold hearings online, adding that most high courts have already been able to implement the move.
The matter came up on Wednesday after a lawyer, while urgently mentioning the petition before the CJI-led bench, highlighted the physical strain the heatwave is imposing on legal professionals who commute to and from district courts.
This latest encouragement for virtual hearings is also consistent with recent Supreme Court efforts aimed at lowering fuel consumption and administrative spending.
Earlier, CJI Kant had asked high court chief justices to conduct online hearings on Mondays and Fridays. This step was introduced to reduce avoidable expenditure amid economic pressures linked to the ongoing West Asia crisis.
Similarly, on May 15, the Supreme Court decided that its own cases would be heard only via videoconferencing on Mondays and Fridays. During that period, the judges unanimously resolved to adopt carpooling arrangements among themselves to improve fuel efficiency.
These measures followed an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging national institutions to cut down unnecessary expenses amid the geopolitical situation in West Asia.