Chief Justice of India N V Ramana has said that the live-streaming of Supreme Court proceedings may begin soon and logistics are being worked out to enable it.
“The Supreme Court is thinking of beginning live-streaming of some court”, Justice Ramana said during the virtual launch of live-streaming of the proceedings of Gujarat High Court. The High Court goes live Monday.
The Chief Justice of India said currently, people get information about proceedings through the media. “In effect, the information from the court is being filtered by agents of transmission. In the process, there is sometimes a transmission loss leading to misinterpretation of questions asked and observations made by the bench, due to the absence of context. Vested interests are eager to amplify these misinterpretations in order to embarrass or discredit the institution,” he said.
“It is the lack of direct access which gives space for misconceptions. The formalization of the live streaming of court proceedings is the best cure for the aforesaid malady. Live-streaming of proceedings is crucial for dissemination of information which is a sacrosanct aspect of Article 19,” he said, adding that through such indirect access, people can get first-hand information about the entire proceedings and the opinions of the judges, “leaving little room for any mischief.”
“A judge cannot be swayed by popular opinion. Yes, with increased public gaze, he might become a subject of multiple debates, that should never deter him from his duty to protect the right of one against the might of many,” he said.
The Chief Justice of India said that with the enhanced access, “lawyers should not go after publicity”. “… rather they must ensure to put in all possible efforts protect the best interests of his clients. They must always uphold and maintain the dignity of the profession,” he said.
Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice M R Shah, who hails from Gujarat, also attended the virtual launch.