PESHAWAR: After remaining closed for 16 days, the Peshawar High Court and its all benches in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will resume operations on June 1 (Monday) following the standard operating procedures issued by the court for Covid-19 prevention.

A notification issued by PHC registrar Khawaja Wajihuddin on Friday said the high court and its all benches would become fully functional June 1 for all sorts of official business in the best public interest with the observance of SOPs by all stakeholders.

A meeting of the district judiciary with the high court registrar in the chair is also scheduled for today (Saturday) wherein district judges will participate with the help of ‘Zoom’ videoconferencing technology.

The participants will decide about the reopening of district courts across the province.

Earlier, the high court had directed all district judges to devise a comprehensive plan for Covid-19 prevention on their respective premises.

Decision on district courts reopening today

After some employees tested positive for the virus, the high court had issued a notification on May 12 of the closure of premises until May 31. However, two single-member benches continued to function to handle matters of urgent nature.

The high court had also made it mandatory for all staff members to produce an affidavit declaring that neither they nor their immediate relatives, including spouse, children, siblings, parents and neighbours, are diagnosed with or suspected of suffering from Covid-19.

Earlier this month, 109 tests were conducted on employees of the high court and other courts. Thirty-eight employees tested positive for coronavirus. Two of them were hospitalised, while others were isolated at home.

A high court official said most patients had recovered from the virus.

He said the Covid-19 affidavit and test condition was still there.

In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the high court had first ordered the closure of all courts in the province on Mar 24. Only few judges and essential staff were given duties for the disposal of cases of urgent nature.

However, from April 20, all high court judges resumed operations at the principal seat and circuit benches.

Last month, the high court had temporarily closed its writ branch after one staff member tested positive for Covid-19. The branch was reopened after the premises and all files and documents were disinfected.

Earlier, the high court had devised a comprehensive plan for Covid-19 prevention and made litigants and visitors wear face masks and gloves on the premises. Currently, the litigants and other visitors are examined on entry. Those with virus symptoms are stopped from entering the premises. Visitors and staff members undergo body temperature checking and pass through a barrage of disinfectant emitted through mist fans. On entry, the visitors are told to wash hands and use hand sanitisers.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2020