SC to allow journalists inside courtrooms in physical proceedings

The Supreme Court Wednesday decided to allow journalists inside courtrooms to witness the proceedings to be conducted in physical mode subject to adherence to usual Covid-19 protocols.

Earlier, the apex court registry had come out with the revised SOP saying that from October 20, all the matters listed on Wednesdays and Thursdays would be heard in the physical presence of lawyers and litigants in courtrooms only.

“With the physical hearing in the Supreme Court of India commencing tomorrow (Thursday, October 21, 2021), it has been decided to allow the media persons, subject to usual Covid restrictions, into the courtrooms for covering the proceedings,” the apex court said in the release.

However, given the limitation of space inside the courtrooms due to the need to strictly maintain physical distancing, it is requested that the media persons may observe self-regulation and not to over-crowd the courtrooms, it said.

“Media persons may even consider issuing a roster among themselves for this purpose which will help them in sharing the notes from all the courtrooms at the end of the day’s proceedings. This advisory is issued with the purpose of keeping all the stakeholders safe by way of adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour,” it said.

The top court has been hearing cases through video conference since March last year due to the pandemic and several bar bodies and lawyers have been demanding that physical hearings should resume immediately.

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