SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, March 13: The Jharkhand High Court has put on hold its March 12 order to discontinue the morning court system in the state’s subordinate judiciary from April.
In a notification, Registrar General Manoj Prasad today informed all Principal District and Sessions Judges, including the Judicial Commissioner of Ranchi, that the decision to end morning courts should be kept in abeyance until further instructions from the court.
On March 12, the High Court issued a notification announcing the discontinuation of morning courts in Jharkhand’s lower judiciary. Traditionally, morning courts operate from the first Monday of April until the last Saturday of June each year.
Historical Context of Morning Courts
The practice of morning court sessions dates back to the colonial era in the erstwhile Bihar, which included present-day Jharkhand. It was introduced primarily to accommodate the region’s extreme summer temperatures, allowing judges, lawyers, and litigants to avoid the intense afternoon heat and ensure smoother legal proceedings.
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However, in April 2023, the Patna High Court discontinued morning courts in Bihar’s district courts. The decision aimed to standardize court timings across the state and align them with regular office hours.
Key Reasons Behind the Move
- Uniformity in Court Timings: The Patna High Court sought to align Bihar’s district courts with the standard working hours followed in other states, ensuring consistency in judicial proceedings.
- Evolving Work Culture: Over time, the legal profession has shifted towards regular working hours, making early morning court sessions less practical. Lawyers, litigants, and court staff found early reporting inconvenient.
- Improved Infrastructure: One of the main reasons for morning courts was to avoid extreme heat. However, with the availability of air-conditioned courtrooms and better working conditions, this concern has been largely addressed.
- Better Coordination with Higher Courts: Aligning district court hours with regular timings improves synchronization with the High Court, which typically follows standard schedules. This helps streamline legal processes, especially in cases of appeals and urgent matters.
- Public Convenience: Many litigants and lawyers travel long distances to attend court proceedings. Shifting to regular court hours allows them to reach the courts more conveniently, without the challenges of early morning travel.
Other High Courts, including those in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, have phased out morning court sessions over the years, citing similar reasons such as improved infrastructure, uniformity in court timings, and better working conditions for legal professionals.
With these changes, Bihar joined other states in modernizing and standardizing its judicial system by discontinuing morning courts.
