Legal reforms: Govt for video recording of court proceedings

With an aim of enhancing transparency in functioning of the judiciary, the government is pushing for video recording of court proceedings as part of reforms in the legal system.
Law Minister Kapil Sibal said the issue was discussed recently at a meeting of an advisory committee of his ministry and it unanimously made the recommendation in this regard.
"The Advisory Council met here. Unanimously the council believed that court proceedings must be videographed and that the technology (for the same) must be put in place now," he told PTI here.
Explaining the reason behind the move, Sibal said the processes of the law must be "as transparent" like the processes of the government.

Sibal said the plan is to begin with video recording of the proceedings of the trial court.
"...Start with the trial courts as it is the foundation of the justice system," he said.

The Minister said the judiciary will be taken on board on the issue.
"We'll have to discuss it with the judiciary as this is not something on which the government can decide on its own," he said.
The Advisory Council of the National Committee for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms, chaired by Sibal, decided to seek the views of the higher judiciary as trial courts fall under High Courts and it cannot be implemented without their consent.