During the nationwide strict lockdown from Thursday, regular court proceedings across the country including the Supreme Court will remain closed.

However, for emergency cases the chamber judge of the Appellate Division, three single benches of the High Court division and a magistrate each in the chief judicial magistrate court in each district and the chief metropolitan magistrate court in the metropolitan area would be available to serve until further orders.

The Appellate Division will also conduct proceedings remotely from home on two days during the initial 7-day lockdown. 

The court officials and employees were instructed not to leave the workstation during this time.

Signed by Registrar General of the Supreme Court Md. Ali Akbar, separate notifications to this effect were issued Wednesday.

Also read: Govt outlines restriction rules ahead of ‘tough’ lockdown

The Appellate Division to go virtual

Amid the lockdown, the judges of the Appellate Division have decided to keep the virtual court open on July 6 and 7, from their respective homes.

For this, the concerned lawyers were asked to keep the case documents in their respective homes. They were told to stay at home to hear the case. For this, two officers of the Appellate Division were also instructed to join the court virtually from home.

However, the lawyers were asked to contact the Registrar General of the Supreme Court, the Registrar of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division and the Special Officer of the Supreme Court regarding any hearing in the chamber court.

Three HC benches to conduct

Although the normal trial was suspended due to the lockdown, the High Court Division would hear emergency cases virtually from July 1 until further orders.

Three benches of Justic Enayetur Rahim, Justice J. B. M. Hassan and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar would conduct according to jurisdiction.

Also read: Violation of lockdown rules to invite legal action, warns DMP

Magistrate court open

Although the normal judicial work would remain closed in all the courts, due to a constitutional obligation there will be a magistrate for the Chief Judicial Magistrate in each district and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in the metropolitan areas.

However, Dhaka, Chattogram and Rajshahi divisions, being the busiest, were instructed to have one or more magistrates.

The notification instructed the judges and court officials not to leave their workstations.