SC favours live-streaming of court proceedings

The Supreme Court agreed in principle to live-stream court proceedings, saying it is the need of the hour and an extension of open-court concept.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked Attorney General K K Venugopal and senior advocate Indira Jaising, who filed a PIL in this regard, to prepare "comprehensive and holistic guidelines" by July 23 to implement live-streaming of proceedings in the top court.

“We have open court system where any citizen can come to witness proceedings with minimal security requirement. Once we accept live-streaming, it would be a virtual open court. We will effectively enforce open court concept,” the bench said.

The court also said, “The litigants are entitled to know how their matters were dealt with. It would be furthering the concept of access to justice. A litigant would feel that though I am not there, I am able to know how my lis (legal issue) was decided.”

The move, if implemented, would be a major step towards transparency and accountability. A separate bench had already directed for putting in CCTV cameras in inside the courts.

At the outset, Venugopal supported the idea, saying all the courts should have live streaming, countries like United Kingdowm have done it. “We would know what is happening... how judges reacted when the arguments were made,” he said.

“In principle, it can be a permissible concept. Each member of the bar has to train in the discipline. The client would also know how many times adjournments were sought by the lawyers,” the bench said.

“Let them show to the entire world how efficient they are,” Venugopal said, adding that just like the proceedings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, there should be live telecast of court proceedings.

For all this, the government has to make arrangements, the court said. It clarified that matrimonial disputes and rape cases would not be live-streamed.

Jaising, who filed the PIL in this regard, said there has to be an arrangement to ensure there is no commercial exploitation of live-streaming.