Background
Upon reopening of Courts after the first wave of COVID 19 pandemic and noticing that the country is returning to normalcy the Supreme Court vide order dated 08.03.2021 had directed in computing the period of limitation for any suit, appeal, application or proceeding, the period from 15.03.2020 till 14.03.2021 shall stand excluded. Consequently, the balance period of limitation remaining as of 15.03.2020, if any, shall become available with effect from 15.03.2021.
However, after passing of that order the country is hit badly by the second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. The Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association moved an application highlighting the daily surge in COVID cases and how difficulty faced by Advocates and the litigants to institute cases in Supreme Court and other Courts.
Directions
The Supreme Court took judicial notice of the fact that the extraordinary situation caused by the sudden and second outburst of COVID-19 Virus requires extraordinary measures to minimize the hardship of litigant–public in all the states. The Court restored order dated 23.03.2020 and in continuation of the order dated 8.03.2021 directed that the period(s) of limitation, as prescribed under any general or special laws in respect of all judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings, whether condonable or not, shall stand extended till further orders.
