Uttarakhand HC to hold virtual hearings every Friday to save fuel

Lawyers outside Nainital encouraged to join online on other days tooNainital: Uttarakhand high court has decided to observe every working Friday as “virtual hearing day”, with proceedings to be conducted primarily through video conferencing to conserve fuel and reduce travel to Nainital. The decision was announced through an official office memorandum issued by registrar general under the directions of chief justice. The memorandum said, “All Fridays on working court days shall be observed as virtual hearing days,” and added that proceedings would, as far as possible, be conducted online.Physical appearance on Fridays will be permitted only in exceptional cases, including when advocates face technical difficulties in joining online proceedings or when lawyers and litigants can reach court on foot. HC also advised advocates living outside Nainital, including those from Haldwani, Bhowali and nearby areas, to “participate in court proceedings virtually not only on Fridays but, wherever possible, on other working days also” instead of travelling to Nainital for hearings.Advocates, officials and court staff residing within Nainital town have been urged to walk to high court whenever feasible, while those commuting from outside areas have been advised to use car-pooling arrangements instead of separate private vehicles. The memorandum said the initiative was aimed at reducing fuel consumption while ensuring that court work continued smoothly. It asked all stakeholders to cooperate in supporting sustainable use of public resources.