New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed disappointment with the lawyer’s fraternity for failing to attend physical hearings. It asked senior advocate Vikas Singh, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to urge lawyers to physically attend hearings in the court, LiveLaw has reported.A bench consisting of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V Ramana, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Nageshwara Rao drew the attention of the court over the lack of attendance of advocates following the resumption of physical hearings of cases in the Supreme Court with a hybrid option, from September 1, 2021.The bench said, “We have lawyers coming in trickles. We have 2 lawyers coming in every day why can’t others come?” The comments were made during a suo-moto case regarding the extension of the limitation period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Advocate Shivaji Jadhav representing the Supreme Court Advocates On Record Association requested the bench to take a suo-moto cognizance to extend the limitation order until the end of this year, considering the possibility of a third wave of the pandemic.However, the bench was not in favour of extending any period further and stated, “If at all a third wave comes, we will see. Don’t expect any third wave now.”It also implied that if needed, the bench might revoke its sou-moto order of April 27, 2021, granting the extension of the limitation period for filing of cases from March 14, in view of the second wave of COVID-19.The CJI, while responding to advocate Jadhav said, “Why are you unnecessarily pessimistic. Don’t invite the third wave.” He also stated the issue regarding the standard operating procedure (SOP) would be resolved once all the advocates resumed attending physical hearings.The issue of SOP was raised by senior advocate and the president of SCBA Vikas Singh. The CJI responded by saying, “Mr. Singh what SOP! If they want to come they’ll come. You encourage your members of the Bar to try to come physically, let them come, we are trying, we will consider the SOP and everything no issue.”The issued SOP by the court has not been accepted by the SCBA because it was reportedly prepared without taking any proper consultation from the bar, despite the assurance given by former CJI S.A. Bobde on March 1, 2021.The stance of the Supreme Court is consistent with its recently issued notice to the Bar Council of India, SCBA, four high courts – those in Bombay, Uttrakhand, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh – and the Union government on a petition filed by All India Jurists Association which sought to make virtual hearings declared as a fundamental right to ease access to justice.The petition was filed to challenge the Uttarakhand high court’s decision to discontinue virtual hearings and revert only to hearing cases in person from August 24.The bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao, B.R. Gavai, and B.V. Nagarathna stated during the case that the hybrid mode cannot function indefinitely and asked the petitioners to identity which fundamental rights were being violated by the Uttarakhand high court’s notification and refused to stay the order.