Supreme Court extends order for various cases due to shutdown

The Supreme Court has extended the periods of bail, temporary injunctions and status quo of various cases as the court remains closed due to the country-wide shutdown to curb Covid-19 outbreak.

As per the directive of Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, the Court on Saturday issued the notice, signed by its registrar general Md Ali Akbar. It reads that the time has been extended for two weeks starting from the day the court will open. 

The notice reads, as a precautionary measure to prevent the probability of a Covid-19 outbreak in the country, the government has announced general holiday until April 9. The next two days are weekly holidays. So, in the case of an accused who was granted bail or asked to surrender at a lower court, or any temporary injunction in any civil case, the orders will take effect two weeks after the court opens. 

The notice also says a case order or an appeal against a verdict for all special act cases has to be submitted on the day the court opens, and certified copies of verdicts must be submitted before the hearing of the appeal.

One or more magistrates in the chief judicial magistrate's court and the chief metropolitan magistrate's court are working on special act cases, the notice says.

Supreme Court sources said Law Minister Anisul Huq had met the chief justice and other justices of the Appellate Division and discussed the present coronavirus situation of the country with them.