The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the court for hybrid hearings starting March 15. The SCBA said the SOP had been framed without consulting the Bar which is an equal stakeholder in the justice delivery system. The hybrid mechanism will enable the counsel to appear either via virtual mode or be physically present in court — mooted as a step before complete normalcy is restored. The SCBA plea said that the SOP does not have a provision for hybrid hearing on Monday and Friday when miscellaneous (fresh) matters are taken up. It also does not have any provision to facilitate oral mentioning for urgent matters, it said. The SOP was issued on March 5.
