Irked over glitches in virtual hearing, SC says Delhi HC system much better
The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed its “exasperation” over its ill functioning virtual court system while also noting the system of Delhi High Court had no such problem.
“We at the inception must note our exasperation at the inability of the virtual Court system to work satisfactorily in the Supreme Court while there is no such problems in the Delhi High Court next door,” said a three-judge bench of the Apex court headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul.
The three-judge bench which was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in a criminal case further directed the Secretary General to look into this issue as it was becoming very difficult to continue with proceedings in the virtual courts in an appropriate manner.
“We have been since yesterday trying to cope with the problem of disconnections, resonance of voices even when there is single person arguing. It is difficult to understand this despite more licences stated to have been taken. The only voice we hear is the resonance of our own voices,” the bench also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy said.
The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated a re-imagining of how access to justice, a key pillar in all democracies, can be ensured in the backdrop of an unprecedented health crisis.
The virus spread introduced some serious changes in the proceedings of the Supreme Court as it moved online since March 23.
Justices began hearing arguments by video conferencing, a momentous step for an institution, which has always been cautious and guarded its secrets.
Technology began to serve as a platform for fiery arguments and courtroom’s give-and-take by lawyers, and paved the way for a renewed justice delivery system. In this year, largely impacted by the pandemic, the Supreme Court delivered some crucial judgments, which may play a significant role in the judicial history.
