NCLAT to hear only "urgent matters" due to Coronavirus outbreak

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has restricted itself to hear only "urgent matters" till April 1 and has extended operation of all interim orders and stay passed in the pending matters till their next hearings. All the matters listed for hearing during the aforesaid period "shall stand adjourned and date of hearing would be notified later.

Announcing the precautionary measures, NCLAT said, "Premises of this Appellate Tribunal shall remain locked during the aforesaid period except for the days when the Bench will meet for hearing urgent matters upon mentioning. All judges, members and the staff members shall stay indoors/ confined to their residences, but shall not leave the Headquarters and shall be available/ accessible at short notice as and when their services are required."

NCLAT has constituted a special bench, which would sit only on March 25 and April 1 to hear the urgent matters after mentioning. It has also said that the insolvency-related matters which are dealt in a time-bound manner, would be heard by the bench during the period, but the bench would function only till 1 pm. The filing office would accept petitions till 1:00 PM.