Live proceedings soon, CJI Dipak Misra agrees litigant has right to know

NEW DELHI: Live streaming of all court proceedings from the Supreme Court may soon become a reality, with the Supreme Court acknowledging the right of a litigant to know the fate of his case, and seeking a blueprint from the government indicating the costs, the technology and parameters within which court proceedings can be aired live.

The CJI conceded that space was a huge problem in the normally overcrowded courts. “The litigant is entitled to know how the lawyer is dealing with a case and how a judge is reacting to his case even if he is not present in the court. A great right will fructify,” he said.

To begin with, the scheme may be introduced in a few courts in the top court on an experimental basis and later extended to all courts in the country, AG KK Venugopal told a three-judge bench presided over by the chief justice of India.


This would ease the crowds in the court and force lawyers to maintain court decorum, he suggested. The AG was responding to a court notice seeking his views on the proposal.

Twin petitions had been filed in the top court seeking live streaming in a bid to make the justice delivery mechanism more accountable and transparent. “A number of benefits will flow,” the AG said. “Litigants will know exactly when their cases come up and what is happening to their cases.”

With lawyers’ faces being seen, they will be forced to act in a dignified way, without raising their voices or interrupting court proceedings, he suggested.

“Crowds in the court would be less. The court could have its own TV channel — SC TV — like Lok Sabha TV or Rajya Sabha TV. Huge screens could transmit proceedings to nearby halls easing the crowds in court rooms,” he said. “Let lawyers expose themselves.”

The bench seemed open to the idea. The CJI suggested that this would end adjournments due to unpreparedness of lawyers. “Unpreparedness is not permissible.” Justice DY Chandrachud suggested that it would be a great learning experience for students.

Besides, he said, it would only be “merely” an “extension” of the principle of open access to courts adapted by the Indian judiciary.