SC seeks response of AG, Bar on live streaming of important cases

The Supreme Court on Monday said it wanted to know the views of the Attorney General and the Bar on a plea seeking live streaming of important cases being heard by it.

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that in the US, the transcripts of the proceedings of cases can be accessed only by the research scholars.

However, the court posted the matter for hearing on May 3 as the Attorney General (AG) said the copies of petitions seeking the live streaming have not been served on the Central government.

The court directed the petitioners-in-person to serve a copy on advocate P.K. Dey who can assist the AG in the matter.

The court was told that top courts in other countries have the transcripts of the proceedings of important cases that are dealt by them.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising, who too has moved the top court seeking the live streaming, as an alternate prayer urged the court to have the video recording of the proceedings which can be kept in the top court museum.

The court was moved by lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara last year seeking the recording of proceedings in all the courts across the country.

Later Jaising approached the court, seeking the live streaming of the top court proceedings of important cases including those being heard by the Constitution bench.

Jaising has sought "live streaming and/or video recording of Supreme Court cases of national importance that impact the public at large", basing her PIL on the right to receive information under Article 19(1)(a) and the principle of open courts and access to justice as protected under Article 21.

She has sought live streaming of the Aadhaar hearing, plea for decriminalising homosexuality, challenge to discriminatory adultery law that only punishes men but spares women in extramarital relationship, and rights of Parsi women to attend the community's religious ceremonies and rituals after they marry someone outside their religion.

--IANS

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