NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday institutionalised video-conferencing during lockdown period and said every individual and institution must implement measures designed by health authorities and governments to reduce the spread of Covid-19.While providing modalities for use of video-conferencing facilities for hearing of urgent cases and even recording of evidence, a bench of CJI S A Bobde, Justices L Nageswara Rao and D Y Chandrachud said, "Faced with the unprecedented and extraordinary outbreak of a pandemic, it is necessary that courts at all levels respond to the call of social distancing and ensure that court premises do not contribute to the spread of the virus. This is not a matter of discretion but duty."It said, "It is necessary to ensure compliance with social distancing guidelines issued from time to time by various health authorities, government of India and states. Court hearing in congregation must necessarily become an exception during this period."Using its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench attempted to institutionalise the use of video conferencing facilities for hearing of urgent matters by HCs and trial courts, a consensus which had emerged administratively arrived on Friday during a video-meeting between SC e-committee head Justice Chandrachud and judges heading e-committees of 23 high courts.The CJI-led bench authorised the SC and HCs to adopt appropriate "measures required to ensure the robust functioning of the judicial system through video conferencing technologies consistent with peculiarities of judicial system in every state and dynamically developing public health situation."The court came to a series of decisions after hearing attorney general K Venugopal, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, Justice department secretary Barun Mitra, Director general of NIC Neeta Verma and advocates Vikas Singh and Shivaji M Jadhav.SC bench said, "District Courts in each state shall adopt mode of video conferencing prescribed by the concerned High Court. The Court shall duly notify and make available the facilities for video conferencing for such litigants who do not have the means or access to video conferencing facilities."It said till further orders video-conferencing shall be the mode of hearing of cases for all three-tiers of judiciary. However, it clarified that trial courts shall not record evidence through video-conferencing without consent of both parties."If it is necessary to record evidence in a courtroom, the presiding officer shall ensure that appropriate distance is maintained between any two individuals in the court. The presiding officer shall have the power to restrict entry of people into the court room or the points from which the arguments are addressed by the advocates. No presiding officer shall prevent the entry of a party to the case unless such party is suffering from any infectious illness. However, where the number of litigants are many the presiding officer shall have the power to restrict the numbers. The presiding officer shall in his discretion adjourn the proceedings where it is not possible to restrict the number," it said and posted the suo motu taken up case for further hearing after four weeks.