The Supreme Court on September 26 allowed the live streaming and video recording of court proceedings in the court of the Chief Justice of India, as proposed by the Centre.
A three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra heard the submissions which came on petitions filed by advocate Indira Jaising, law student Snehil Tripathi and NGO ‘Centre For Accountability and Systemic Change’.
The SC said that webcast of proceedings, which will start from its court, will bring transparency into the judicial system and will effectuate the “public right to know”.
Apex court while passing the order said, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” it said while passing the order.
The court added that necessary rules for balancing rights of public and protecting dignity of litigants will be placed soon.
The government had backed the live streaming of trials and said that the process can be extended to other courts depending on the success of the pilot project.
The Centre cautioned that this exercise must not be permitted in matrimonial cases, matters involving interests of juveniles or protection and safety of the private life of young offenders and cases involving national security.
Indira Jaising welcomed the court’s decision as ‘the biggest reform of the century’.
