Supreme Court of India revises Lawyers' Chamber timings, allows longer working hours

The Supreme Court of India has changed the operating hours of the Lawyers' Chamber. The Apex Court has allowed the Lawyers' Chamber block to remain open for longer hours after receiving requests from the lawyers. 

Supreme Court revises chamber timing

On Friday, August 7, the Supreme Court issued a notice that came as good news for the SC lawyers. Taking into consideration the requests from the lawyers, the Supreme Court modified the working hours of the Lawyers' Chambers block. The SC informed that the Lawyers' Chamber block located within its premises will remain open of longer hours. As per the previous notice dated 21st May 2020 the Lawyers' Chambers were to remain open from 10 am to 4 pm (Monday to Friday, except holidays) but as per the current Supreme Court notice dated 7th August 2020, the Lawyers' Chambers will remain open from 09:30 am to 05:30 pm (Monday to Friday, except holidays). 

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 "Other terms of the said Circular shall remain the same. All concerned are requested to co-operate in this regard," read the notice. 

According to the previous notice, the Supreme Court put together some protocols for the entry of lawyers in the chambers block in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

"The Lawyers Chamber Blocks shall have entry only for Learned Members and their staff (on the production of Proximity Card or Letter of Authority), who would submit themselves to thermal-screening and duly fill up self-declaration Forms/Daily Registers (containing contact-tracing details), both to be arranged jointly by SCBA & SCAORA, and the SCS shall refuse entry into any block on non-compliance of this condition; further, the SCBA/SCAORA staff shall forward copies of the self-declaration forms/daily registers of each Block to the Registry at the earliest, but not later than the end of office hours on the following working day," read the previous notice.

Through this notice, the lawyers were notified that the chambers will remain open according to the odd-even Chamber numbers of every block, which would alternately open on weekdays. This was done in order to limit the number of people inside the SC as well as the Chambers. The working hours as per this old notice were from 10 AM to 4 PM (Monday to Friday, except holidays) and 10 AM to 2 PM (Saturday, except holidays). The working hours would be followed by sanitisation of the Blocks and on Sundays and holidays, the Blocks are scheduled to undergo deep cleaning and sanitization. As per the new notice, only the timing has been changed but the rest of the guidelines will remain the same.

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(With agency inputs)