District courts to reopen from June 1 in Punjab

Authority directs regular working of all judicial officers across the province

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan ordered the district judiciary to resume its judicial work from June 1.

The courts had been closed down for over a month due to the coronavirus. The authority has directed to ensure the regular working of all the learned judicial officers in all respective districts from June 1.

Meanwhile, the guidelines were also issued for the working judiciary in Punjab in which the district and sessions judges shall make sure provision of the sanitisers or walkthrough sanitising gates at entry points of courts.

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They stated that the learned presiding officers, officials, lawyers and parties must wear face masks. No one should be allowed to enter into the court premises/rooms or any attached offices without wearing a mask and gloves.

On the call of the case, only those advocates (associating one junior with them if required) who have to appear to argue or attend a particular case in a court shall enter courtrooms, unless the presence of the parties in person and that of the witnesses is desired by the courts.

Police officials shall deliver the police record to the prosecutor of the relevant court. No policeman  shall enter the court premises/rooms in person unless so required.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2020.