From September 27, SC to livestream all constitutional bench proceedings
The Supreme Court (SC) has decided to live-stream all constitution bench proceedings beginning September 27, according to Hindustan Times. The SC judges led by Chief Justice of India (CJI), UU Lalit heard the matter and made a judgment about the live broadcast on Tuesday. They were all in agreement that live broadcasting should be done often in constitutional cases.
Why does this story matter?
The decision comes about a month after the new Chief Justice assumed the charge, and it comes amid growing complaints over inordinate delays in hearing various cases. Previously, former CJI NV Ramana declared his desire to begin live streaming of Supreme Court cases. On his final day, the SC live-streamed the ceremonial bench of Ramana on a trial basis.
Proposal for the livestream
According to reports, the Supreme Court's decision to begin live broadcasting the hearings of cases of public and constitutional importance was expedited after senior counsel Indira Jaising wrote to the CJI demanding that it do so. To recall, she was one of the petitioners in 2018 asking for live streaming to be recognized as a right to information of freedom and access to justice.
Prominent cases identified for livestream
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has identified some major cases for the live webcast in the coming days. The cases include challenges to the economically backward class quota law, the religious practice of ex-communication in the Dawoodi Bohra community, the SC's power to dissolve marriages based on the irretrievable breakdown, and the Centre's petition for increased compensation for victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.
Trial run during farewell of Ramana
The top court ruled in September 2018 that the live broadcast of court hearings is outside the scope of the Constitution's Article 21 guarantee of access to justice, according to Hindustan Times. Three years after a judgement recommending live-streaming of hearings, the SC streamed its first sessions in August of this year, when a ceremonial bench waved farewell to Lalit's predecessor NV Ramana.
Six state High Courts run webcast on YouTube
Six High Courts in India currently have YouTube channels and live stream their sessions on the internet. Gujarat, Odisha, Patna, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. According to HT, the e-Committee has been working on a plan to create a unique platform for live-streaming court meetings. The platform proposal is part of the third phase of the e-courts project.
