‘Pollution affecting basic functioning inside court’

What the CJI-led bench said

- Utkarsh Anand and Abraham Thomas

Delhi-NCR's choking air overshadowed multiple proceedings in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and several senior lawyers repeatedly flagging the deteriorating air quality that has begun affecting basic functioning inside the courtroom.

The severity of the problem played out when senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi abruptly sought permission to leave midway through arguments, citing "chest congestion", and requested that he be allowed to appear online. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal supported him, saying, "Things are really getting from bad to worse. Every year, the pollution is increasing. At least there should be some option for the elderly lawyers who may get sick."

During the hearing, the Chief Justice said he would consult bar associations on allowing virtual hearings for senior lawyers affected by the pollution. "I will take the Bar into confidence. Sometimes we are not aware what kind of difficulties lawyers will face if we take such a decision," he said, noting that uniform directions would require consultation with Bar associations.

He also observed that judges were equally affected, especially given that "most of them are above 60 years." He recalled that a former Supreme Court judge associated with the e-Committee recently suffered a stroke that he linked to prevailing weather conditions.