Coronavirus lockdown: Functioning of Odisha HC, subordinate

In view of the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus infection, functioning of the Orissa High Court, subordinate courts and their offices will remain suspended till April 15. The High Court has also extended date of interim orders passed by different benches of the High Court till April 15.

A Division Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Kumari Sanju Panda on Wednesday heard all the urgent matters through video-conferencing and observed that all the interim orders passed by single-judge bench or Division Bench will remain effective till April 15.

The court further ordered that the functioning of the High Court and subordinate courts as well as their offices shall remain suspended till April 15.

Extremely urgent matters can be mentioned before the Deputy Registrar (Judicial) through email between 11 am and 12 noon during this period. Similarly, matters relating to production, remand, and urgent bail matters shall be taken up subordinate courts through video- conferencing, two separate notifications of the Registry said.

In an earlier order, the High Court had made it clear that in view of the existing situation, where maintenance of social distancing is extremely important to combat the coronavirus pandemic, no demolition or eviction under any law shall be undertaken by any authority till April 15 to avoid congestion.

The Bench of Justices C R Dash and S K Panigrahi last week had directed strict compliance of the order.