‘COVID management patch’ developed for lower courts to check overcrowding amid pandemic
The Hindu
The patch entails a set of protocols detailing measures that can be adopted to facilitate smart scheduling of cases, slotting hearings, and avoiding overlapping of hearings.
As courts resume physical hearing after easing of COVID-19-induced lockdown in the country, the National Information Centre (NIC) has introduced a “COVID management patch” to allow judicial officers to retain only urgent cases to prevent overcrowding of courtrooms and impede the spread of the virus.
The COVID-19 Management Patch has been developed in the case information system (CIS) to help in smart scheduling of cases, according to information put in public domain by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry.
According to one such document, the patch enables the courts to proceed in a systematic and planned manner to reduce the risks associated with the presence of a large number of people in court premises.