SC seeks AG's assistance on pleas for live streaming of court

The Supreme Court today sought assistance of Attorney General K K Venugopal on a batch of petitions seeking live streaming or video recording of the judicial proceedings.
One of the pleas, filed by senior advocate Indira Jaising, has sought live streaming of matters of constitutional and national importance such as Aadhaar.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the three petitioners to supply copies of their pleas to the office of the attorney general who would assist the court in the matter.
In a bid to bring in transparency, the top court had last year allowed the installation of CCTV recording with audio in trial courts and tribunals of each state.

Jaising has said that the citizens have the right to information and matters of constitutional and national importance can be live-streamed.
She has said in western countries, this system is in place and live streaming of court proceedings, including that of the International Court of Justice, are available on YouTube.

If live streaming of the top court's proceedings is not possible, then alternately video recording should be allowed, she said.
Another petition, filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, has sought video and audio recording of the court proceedings for enhanced transparency and greater accountability.
He has sought a direction for making arrangements for video recording of the proceedings of the Supreme Court, high courts, all the courts below and tribunals in the country and allowing public access to such records.

A petition, filed by a law student, has also sought a direction for setting up live streaming rooms within the apex court premises and granting access to legal interns.
The plea, filed by Swapnil Tripathi, a student of National Law University in Jodhpur, has asked for requisite guidelines to facilitate witnessing of proceedings for the interns.
Jaising has said that with the top court hearing Aadhaar and other matters of great significance to the people, the proceedings can be live-streamed.
She said live streaming of Supreme Court cases of constitutional and national importance having an impact on the public at large, will empower and provide access to citizens who cannot personally come to the court due to socio-economic constraints.

The apex court may place restrictions on such videography and live streaming of proceedings, in cases where there are "countervailing interests of privacy as in family law cases, criminal law cases, as well as in the interests of witness testimonies in criminal matters", she said.