Supreme Court Favours Live Streaming Of Proceedings; Says ‘Litigants Have A Right To Know’

The Supreme Court today (9 July) favoured live streaming of court proceedings while hearing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by senior advocate Indira Jaising and law student Swapnil Tripathi, reported Live Law.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud heard the PIL. The bench said that it was ‘the need of the hour’. It is further reported to have said that this will allow the litigants to know how their lawyers represent them in court.

Restrictions may however be placed on in-camera proceedings which involve cases related to criminal law and family law.

Attorney General K K Venugopal also has favoured live streaming of court proceedings.

The petition filed by Jaising contends that “right to seek, receive information including live streaming of Supreme Court proceedings” is a fundamental right under the constitution.

The petition filed by Tripathi is regarding the ban on law interns to view court proceedings on ‘miscellaneous days’. The petition contends that "Prohibition of law interns on miscellaneous days hampers the scope of learning expected out of litigation internships as most of the important arguments and leading cases are listed and heard on these two days only, therefore denying interns entry on those specific days, defeats the very objective of a legal internship and the provision. Further, such a denial vide the notification also violates the fundamental rights of the law interns.”

The apex court had allowed installation of CCTV cameras inside the court halls last year.