Part of: GS Prelims and GS -II – JUdiciary; Governance
In news
Recently, the Supreme Court has released the Draft Model Rules for Live-Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings.
The Rules are part of the National Policy and Action Plan for implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the judiciary.
The Supreme Court in Swapnil Tripathi v Supreme Court of India (2018) had ruled in favour of opening up the apex court through live-streaming.
It held that the live streaming proceedings are part of the right to access justice under Article 21
Key features of the Draft Rules
All proceedings in high courts can be telecast except for cases relating to matrimonial disputes, gender-based violence, those involving minors.
The final decision to allow the Live-streaming of the Proceedings or any portion thereof will be of the Bench.
Court proceedings can be archived for six months.
The rules also prohibit recording or sharing the telecast on media platforms, including social media and messaging platforms, unless authorised by the court.
Benefits
Justice delivery system will become affordable, transparent, speedy and accountable by limiting the paper filings.
It can be time saving
Concerns:
Lack of technical manpower in courts and awareness
Cyber security threat.
Issues of privacy may arise.
Infrastructure, especially the internet connectivity is also a big challenge
