Chhattisgarh High Court adopts virtual hearings, hybrid staff rotations for summer vacation
Raipur
The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued new administrative directions for the 2026 summer vacation, following circulars issued by the Supreme Court of India dated May 15 and May 18, aimed at ensuring uninterrupted judicial work and better resource optimisation.
🔹 Virtual hearings made default
👍The court has directed that during the vacation period, hearings will ordinarily be conducted via video conferencing to reduce travel and maintain continuity of judicial proceedings.
However, physical appearances will still be allowed for advocates who are unable to access virtual platforms, and benches will retain discretion to order in-person hearings where required.
🔹 Hybrid work policy for staff
A new hybrid work model has been introduced for High Court and district judiciary staff:
- Up to two days of remote work per week permitted
- At least 50% staff presence mandatory in offices daily
- Remote employees must remain reachable during office hours via official communication channels
🔹 Fuel conservation & vehicle pooling
As part of resource conservation measures, the court has encouraged vehicle pooling across the judiciary.
Judges have been urged to voluntarily adopt shared transport arrangements, while coordinated pooling will be organised for judicial officers, registry staff, and ministerial employees.
The Registry has also been instructed to strengthen video-conferencing infrastructure and logistical support to implement these digital and green initiatives.
🔹 Objective: efficiency + access to justice
Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha stated that these reforms aim to balance institutional responsibility, fuel conservation, and the court’s duty to ensure continuous access to justice.
Overall, the initiative marks a strong shift toward digital judiciary operations, hybrid staffing, and eco-friendly administrative practices in the state judiciary.
