Video conferencing with SC: Litigants from NE get a boost; lawyers want its continuation

GUWAHATI: With the Supreme Court emerging as a global leader in hearing cases through video conferencing during the current pandemic, lawyers from the North East demand continuation of such facility even after the end of COVID-19 as it has proved to be a boon for litigants across the region.

Distance of the Supreme Court in Delhi from various parts of the North East in addition with the high travel costs for the lawyers and litigants coming from far-flung areas have not been practically possible and economically viable resulting in many poor litigants not approaching the Supreme Court by way of appeal. But the apex Court's video-conferencing facility has taken the justice delivery system to every nook and corner of the country.

"A lawyer sitting in a small town or village and the litigant from a remote location can also now address the judges of the Supreme Court through video conferencing. It not only saves time and money but also has taken the justice inside the rooms of the citizens of the country who are crying for justice in a remote area of the country. By resorting to the digital platform, the pressure on the infrastructure of the judiciary has been reduced tremendously and the faith in the system to tackle any crisis has become more robust," senior advocate of the Gauhati High Court BhaskarDevKonwar told The Sentinel on Sunday.

He added that filling of cases in the Supreme Court through the online mode from any part of the country has become possible through the e-filling system.

"Even in the post COVID-19 period, addressing of the Supreme Court through video conferencing should continue as it will immensely benefit the people of the North East where the economic condition of the people, in comparison to the other mainland of India, is poor.

Distance and remoteness are the prime causes for the litigants from NE often failing to physically approach the Supreme Court in Delhi. Many of the customary laws of North East are still prevalent which have been recognised by the judicial system and by breaking the barriers of distance and cost, it will raise a new flag in the justice delivery system of India," pointed out advocate Konwar.

There was always a persistent demand from lawyers across the country including the Northeast for benches of the Supreme Court, which was rejected earlier by the government as well as the apex Court on a number of occasions. To establish Supreme Court benches outside Delhi will require amendment to the Constitution which was thought not possible or desirable. The Supreme Court had earlier rejected the demand saying that it would affect the country's unitary character.

Advocate Konwar also said that the necessity of having SC benches outside Delhi could be mitigated by permanently using the digital platform and technology such as video conferencing to hear cases even from the remotest part of the country.

"The way forward for the Supreme Court is to enhance its peripherals like audio quality, camera, lighting equipments, etc., and to install sufficient numbers of dedicated high-speed optical-fibre Internet connection for the Court rooms and the judges. I make a plea before the Supreme Court to take the assistance of experts who design studios for the media houses and televisions for high-quality transmission. The Judges could also be trained on how to look into the camera and deliver words on the digital platform. This will enhance beauty of the justice-delivery system which can match up to other platforms functioning in a democracy," said advocate Konwar.

Many other senior lawyers agreed with the opinions shared by advocate Konwar.

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