Live streaming will demystify justice delivery system, SC keen on it: CJI

Live streaming of court proceedings will remove misconceptions about the justice delivery system and the Supreme Court is keen to make the facility available from at least some of its courts Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said here on SaturdayHe was speaking after inaugurating the live streaming facility which makes it possible to watch court proceedings online at the Gujarat High CourtThe CJI however cautioned judges to not get deterred from their duty to protect the iquestright of one against the might of many in the face of increased public gaze which they may face due to live streamingEven after 74 years of Independence multiple incorrect notions still prevail in the minds of the public regarding the justice delivery system It is high time for demystifying the justice delivery system in the country and furthering access to open courtsAccess to justice will become a true reality when litigants and interested parties get to witness understand and comprehend justice dispensation firsthand Justice Ramana saidLive streaming of court proceedings was a step in the right direction but one must tread on this path with caution he addedAt times live streaming of proceedings may become a doubleedged sword judges might feel the presence of public scrutiny which may ultimately result in a stressful environment that may not be conducive to justice dispensation he saidAlso read Mahabharat early attempt at mediation British eroded resolution mechanism CJI NV RamanaWith increased public gaze judges might become a subject of multiple debates the CJI saidThis should never deter him a judge from his duty to protect the right of one against the might of many he addedThe right to know as bestowed under the Constitution also includes the knowledge of the institutions that concern people and one way to promote it is to allow people access to watching the proceedings of the courts Justice Ramana saidThe courts in India have traditionally been open to all but the harshest realities of poverty social inequality lack of awareness cost distance made it difficult for some of the population to actively attend court proceedings he observedWe are keen to start live streaming of proceedings in at least some of the courts of the Supreme Court We are working out the logistics and working on the consensus of the full court With the aid of modern technologies I am given to understand that we can introduce the live streaming future in a costeffective manner without imposing much burden on the exchequer he saidLive streaming will also resolve the issue of misconceptions that emerge due to transmission loss caused by the media the CJI saidSuch transmission loss causes misinterpretation of questions asked and observations made by the bench due to the absence of context and vested interests are eager to amplify this misinterpretation in order to embarrass the institutions he saidHe also cautioned lawyers against seeking publicity from live streaming saying they must protect their clients interest and uphold the dignity of the professionPrivacy of the parties involved must also be taken into consideration so as to ensure safety and security of the victims and witnesses Justice Ramana said adding that for this the rules of live streaming must be calibrated carefullyA committee headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud is playing a wonderful role and bringing all the courts on board to unleash the transparency revolution with the aid of modern technology he saidThe CJI also unveiled the Gujarat High Court Live Streaming of Court Proceeding Rules 2021 on the occasionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever