Virtual Court: Three petitions filed on first day

After a break of 46 days, lawyers  yesterday started filing cases with the High Court for virtual hearing and disposal, amid the ongoing closure stemmed out of coronavirus outbreak.

A total of three petitions  were submitted through email to the HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim, mentioning the reasons for their urgent hearing.

The officer concerned  of the HC bench will now inform the lawyers through email and cellphone when the judge will hold hearing of the petitions, SC sources said.   

No case was filed with other two HC benches yesterday.   

Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain on Sunday  constituted three single-judge benches of the High Court for holding virtual hearing and disposing of urgent cases through digital services during the ongoing closure.         

The three HC judges are Justice Obaidul Hassan, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar.

He also formed a bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court with Justice Md Nuruzzaman for virtual hearing.

The chief also issued some  directives for the courts  about dealing with urgent cases through using technology. He issued the "practice directives" in line with the ordinance issued by President Abdul Hamid on Saturday.

The Appellate Division bench will start dealing with cases from May 14.

Meanwhile yesterday,  the Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge's Court started its virtual court proceedings through videoconferencing.

An official of the court told The Daily Star they have issued a notice in this regard and passed it to the Dhaka Bar Association along with the directives the Supreme Court mentioned for virtual courts.

The court asked for applications from lawyers so that the virtual hearings can be prioritised case by case, with the hearing of bail petitions of those accused -- who are now in jail -- taking top priority.

The court will hear the petitions that remained pending at the court from March 29.

The official closure of the courts in the nationwide shutdown is scheduled to stay till May 16.

Over 900 bail petitions are pending at the court at present.

Contacted, Dhaka Bar Association President Iqbal Hossain said he has received the notice and will convey the message to lawyers in the association.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate AM Zulfiker Hayat has formed four courts for holding hearings on bail petitions in the cases filed with 49 police stations under DMP.

The four courts are of Metropolitan Magistrates Sarafuzzaman Ansary, Sadbir Yasir Ahsan Chowdhruy, Debdash Chandra Adhikary and Rajesh Chowdhury.

Earlier, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain had issued necessary directives for the lower courts for holding hearings on bail petitions of urgent cases through using information and communication technology during the ongoing shutdown.