Media Important In Disseminating Information: Supreme Court Launches Mobile Facility For Journalists To Attend Virtual Hearing

Key Takeaways

• Given the hard work and difficulties that journalists face, the Supreme Court announced on Thursday the launch of a smartphone app that will enable reporters to report on virtual court proceedings without putting their lives at risk by coming to the court premises in the midst of the pandemic.
• CJI Ramana said, "We discovered that the media was relying on advocates to get ties and cover court." As a result, there was a proposal to provide a system to enable the press to attend the hearings.”
• In addition to launching the app, the CJI discussed adding a feature called 'Indicative Notes' on the website and mobile app, which will summaries landmark decisions.
• Justice Hemant Gupta added a caveat, saying, "Access to media to court proceedings will increase transparency." Reporting should be done with caution. There is a condition that the links given to you are used legitimately and that unauthorized individuals do not use them. It would be unfair to the institution.”
• Keeping in mind the press's significant relationship with this institution, Justice Khanwilkar said, "We know that they are rendering essential services that need to be harnessed." The institution is paying back providing this small gift.

Background Details

• Justice Ramana disclosed that approximately 800 registry workers had tested positive for the coronavirus up to this stage, with three of them succumbing to the disease.
• According to him, 2768 judicial officers and 106 high court judges had tested positive for the virus, with 34 judicial officers and three high court judges lost their life
• Due to the adverse impact of corona, it is now more necessary than ever to adapt and make good use of technology.
• CHIEF Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana unveiled a special facility to provide media access to for the Supreme Court through a new mobile application.

Overview

• Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana said on Thursday that he is actively considering telecasting the Supreme Court's proceedings live.
• "I am still actively considering the idea to live-stream the Supreme Court's proceedings. However, before taking any meaningful steps in this regard, I intend to seek broad agreement among my colleagues on the Court,” said the Chief Justice.
• The Supreme Court ordered live-streaming of Supreme Court proceedings in 2018, claiming that it would increase the transparency of judicial proceedings; however, the requisite changes to the Supreme Court rules to frame the modalities of the procedure have yet to be made.
• Justice Ramana stated that the media faces significant challenges and emphasized the role of the media in the distribution of information.
• The CJI spoke of his own personal experience when he was a journalist for a short period of time in a Telegu newspaper before starting a legal career.
• CJI Ramana recalled his brief media affairs association before entering the field of law: "the media face major difficulties in reporting. For a short time, I was a journalist. We had no car or bikes that time. The management of newspapers prohibited any transmission from event organizers. As a journalist, I too found it tough."
• Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, A.M. Khanwilkar and Hemant Gupta also participated in this virtual event.
• Justice Chandrachud is head of the court's e-committee which has been accredited since March of last year to put in place a court hearing infrastructure via video conferencing.
• “We hope that this facility will keep you all safe,” Justice Chandrachud said on the occasion. Journalists are constantly open to the outside world. I hope this is one of the many steps that the Chief Justice of India will take in the near future.” He informed him that all six people who worked on the mobile app were infected with Covid-19, but that they continued to work despite being confined to their homes.
• He also stressed the importance of transparency and fairness in judicial proceedings. "When it comes to the judicial process in our country, transparency is a time-honored concept. Cases have traditionally been heard in open courtrooms, with access granted not only to the attorneys and litigants involved in the case, but also to the general public. The only limitations that had previously been enforced were due to space and security concerns," The CJI said.
• He also stated that there might be minor problems during the early stages of this "technological journey," and hoped that the system would be allowed the time it needed to develop.
• “Errors should not be exaggerated excessively. Indicative mode, which summarizes landmark decisions, will also be introduced,” he added.
• “Keeping the significant relationship of the press with this institution in mind, we know that they are providing essential services that have to be harnessed,” Justice Khanwilkar added. The institution is repaying us all by providing this small gift, which will be treasured in the long run and which is currently temporary but could become permanent in the future depending on the operational issues we face.”

What is your say on this? Whether Access to media to court proceedings via mobile application will increase transparency or access to unauthorized individuals?