August 13, 2020: The Gauhati High Court formed a committee to decide on the opening of physical courts in Assam and other Northeastern states. The Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court had on August 11 formed a 5-member committee for taking decisions for opening of courts, or imposing restrictions on court functioning of the Gauhati High Court (Principal Bench) as well as its outlying Benches and subordinate courts of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

The members of the committee are Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak, Justice Michael Zothankhuma, Justice Kalyan Raj Surana, Justice Prasanta Kumar Deka and Justice Manish Choudhury. The physical courts have been closed since late March due to the Covid-19 situation.

Meanwhile, the All Assam Lawyers Association on Thursday staged sit-in strike at the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate's court premises seeking early resumption of physical courts. The agitating lawyers demanded that the physical courts should be resumed soon besides opening of the bar council office and the library.