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Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday urged Supreme Court judges to prioritize virtual court hearings wherever feasible.
NEW DELHI: Amid the worsening air pollution crisis in Delhi, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday urged Supreme Court judges to prioritize virtual court hearings wherever feasible. The statement was made during deliberations on the Commission for Air Quality Management case, involving a Bench led by the CJI and prominent legal figures such as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Vikas Singh.
“Pollution is spiraling out of control,” remarked Sibal during the proceedings, prompting the CJI to respond, “We have advised all judges to facilitate virtual hearings wherever possible.”
Sibal suggested that similar guidelines should be extended to other courts nationwide. Sankaranarayanan, however, highlighted that judicial institutions are currently not included under the Graded Response Action Plan IV (GRAP IV)—a stringent protocol triggered when the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpasses 450. GRAP IV entails measures like halting construction activities, shutting down schools, and implementing vehicle restrictions.
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In response, SG Mehta proposed extending GRAP IV provisions to cover courts as well. The CJI acknowledged the proposal and assured that judges had been encouraged to embrace online hearings to minimize physical appearances by litigants and their lawyers. “The message is clear—accommodate everyone. Virtual hearings are always an option,” he emphasized.
The alarming rise in Delhi’s pollution levels also led the Supreme Court to direct the Delhi government to suspend in-person school classes for students up to grade 12. The directive was swiftly implemented, with the government making the announcement last night.
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Separately, during a hearing on Monday, Justices AS Oka and AG Masih expressed their intent to ensure that GRAP IV measures remain enforced even if the AQI shows temporary improvement. The Bench also reviewed the efforts of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in addressing stubble burning, a major contributor to the air quality crisis.
