GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court, on Thursday, May 21, issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) introducing virtual hearings, staff roster regulations, and fuel conservation measures across its Principal Seat, outlying benches, and district courts under its jurisdiction.
ALSO READ: Cycle Factory–Lal Ganesh Flyover to Be Inaugurated in Guwahati Today
The notification follows a communication from the Chief Justice of India and an Office Memorandum from the Government of India’s Department of Personnel and Training. The SOP will come into force from May 25 and remain effective till June 26, after which it will be reviewed.
As part of the new measures, all court proceedings listed on Mondays and Fridays will preferably be conducted through video conferencing. VC links will be made available for such hearings, while Court Masters have been directed to coordinate with stakeholders to ensure smooth proceedings.
The High Court has also introduced several fuel conservation measures. Judges have been encouraged to adopt car-pooling arrangements wherever feasible, while the use of official registry vehicles for administrative purposes has been restricted. Departments and sections have been instructed to combine multiple official requirements into single trips to reduce fuel consumption.
Under the staff management guidelines, up to 50 percent of employees in administrative and judicial sections will attend office on alternate days, depending on administrative convenience. The notification mandates the use of the e-Office platform for administrative file movement and communication, discouraging physical handling of files unless absolutely necessary. Staff working remotely have been instructed to remain available via telephone, mobile phone, and e-Office during official hours and be prepared to attend office at short notice if required.
The SOP further states that all administrative meetings of different committees will be conducted through video conferencing, with meeting briefs to be circulated electronically among committee members.
However, certain sections including the Protocol Section, Filing Section, Copying Section, Bench Section, Computer Section, and the e-Courts Division have been exempted from the work-from-home and fuel conservation arrangements due to the essential nature of their responsibilities and the need to maintain uninterrupted court proceedings and technical services.
The High Court has also directed district judges, chief judicial magistrates, and other judicial authorities across Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh to issue separate notifications for implementing the SOP in their respective jurisdictions. Additionally, all training programmes conducted by the Judicial Academy, Assam, will now be held through virtual or online mode during the operational period of the SOP.