Securing Justice, Virtually, by Omar Hoda, Noida

Born in Patna, Bihar, raised in New Delhii, and currently living in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Omar is an advocate protecting fundamental rights for all.

As we braced ourselves for the nation-wide lockdown beginning March 24th, 2020, I, along with millions of lawyers and litigants, was worried: not only about the pandemic, but also about how and where we would be able to secure justice from the courts. Each passing day, we were reminded that the pandemic had not only shut us indoors, it shut the doors of our courts.

A week into the lockdown, to the surprise of everyone, we were introduced to the world of virtual courts. I, as an officer of the court, felt immense pride in witnessing the judges of the Supreme Court on our laptop screens and hearing our cases, to provide relief to lawyers and litigants all around India.

In April, during one of the many virtual hearings, the court proactively issued directions to safeguard prisons and prisoners from COVID-19. I wondered about the people who were interned, or placed in homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and detention centers. These places and their residents were equally susceptible to infection, yet no one was appearing on their behalf and apprising the court of the risks. 

I, along with my senior colleagues, petitioned the Supreme Court to issue directions to state governments across the country, to ensure that each shelter, facility, home, etc., was geared up to fight this pandemic by creating isolation wards, supplying masks, sanitizing premises, and installing digital thermometers. I am proud that due to our petition and the orders passed by the court, the risk of transmission in these facilities has been reduced.

In May, as those of us with access to food ate to our stomach’s delight, I felt something amiss. For every grain I consumed, there might be another person left starving due to the pandemic. I opened my laptop, and after following the due procedure, I approached the Supreme Court virtually, to seek relief for citizens who were unable to secure food items that had been guaranteed to them by the government. The court not only heard my senior colleagues on the issues, but even granted us the liberty to co-ordinate our efforts of ensuring food security for everyone during the lockdown period.

In June, as work was stalled across the country, news outlets around the world published disheartening images of the mass migration of laborers from cities to their native villages. It was disturbing to see laborers walking hundreds of kilometers, only to be refused entry in their villages on suspicion that they carried the infection. I immediately sought an application requesting the Supreme Court to direct states and villages to create facilitation centers for helping migrant laborers. I also assisted senior counsel in suggesting plans and methods to the central government, for handling the crisis.

All of the above was achieved through technology that helped me access the court virtually, to assist millions when the entire country and world was reeling from the pandemic. I can proudly say that our courts opened up many gates of relief, when the physical gates of offices and courts remained shut.

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(This story was prepared for an “Imagine Another World” online storytelling workshop held October 14, 2020.)

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