NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Friday refused to further hear a PIL to declare all people associated with the judicial functioning, including judges, court staff and lawyers, as ‘frontline workers’ to enable them to get Covid-19 vaccination on priority in view of the Supreme Court’s order staying the proceedings.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli adjourned sine-die the hearing in the PIL which was initiated by the high court on its own. The apex court on Thursday had stayed proceedings in the Delhi High Court on giving priority to the legal fraternity for administering Covid vaccine and favoured transferring the suo motu case on the issue to itself for adjudication.
The Centre has opposed creating a separate class of lawyers and said that though it is not opposed to the legal fraternity members but tomorrow journalists and banking sector employees may also come forward seeking priority in vaccination.
During the brief hearing, central government standing counsel Anil Soni informed the high court that in the seven district courts, the facility of Covid-19 vaccination for lawyers, who are eligible for it as per the policy, has started.
The Delhi HC and all the district courts have resumed full-fledged physical functioning from March 15. Earlier, the Centre had told the HC that the decision for vaccination is based on vulnerability of citizens to the disease and is not profession wise and the government is sensitive to the needs of the country.