Supreme Court suspends virtual proceedings until further notice

The Supreme Court has suspended virtual court proceedings at its Appellate Division, including Chamber Courts, until further notice. The suspension applies to the weekly Wednesday and Thursday virtual sessions, which were introduced just last month.

A notification signed by Appellate Division Registrar Ashiqul Khabir on Sunday, May 3, confirmed the decision. It stated that virtual proceedings of the Appellate Division (including the Chamber Court), held every Wednesday and Thursday, have been suspended until further order. The decision takes immediate effect.

The Supreme Court had started holding virtual proceedings in both its Appellate and High Court Divisions on Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 22. An earlier notification stated the decision was taken considering the global energy situation, aiming to save fuel and electricity, in line with the Information and Communication Technology Use in Courts Act, 2020.

However, the virtual court system faced strong opposition from lawyers. On April 21, lawyers staged a human chain protest at the Supreme Court Bar Association premises, demanding the decision be withdrawn. They argued the decision was "imposed" without consulting bar leaders and questioned how virtual hearings would actually save electricity, noting that judges would still conduct hearings from courtrooms where lights, fans, and air conditioners would remain in use.

Lawyers subsequently issued an ultimatum, demanding the decision be scrapped by April 28, threatening black flag processions and sit-in protests.

Reports also emerged that the virtual initiative was resulting in higher energy consumption than physical court sessions, as the virtual system requires participants to operate from multiple separate locations, with air conditioning, lights, and fans running across several different rooms simultaneously.