Editorial: Digital push for judiciary

The live transcription of court proceedings for the first time in the country is a welcome move towards modernising the judiciary and making it more accessible and responsive

Hyderabad: Digitisation of the courts is one of the key components of judicial reforms for a transparent, speedy and hassle-free delivery of justice. The latest initiative by the Supreme Court — live transcription of court proceedings for the first time in the country — is a welcome move towards modernising the judiciary and making it more accessible and responsive. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, who is also the chairman of the e-Committee of the apex court, deserves full credit for introducing a series of digital initiatives using artificial intelligence and high-tech tools to improve the functioning of courts. The live transcription of the proceedings adds to a long list of technological reforms, including live-streaming, digitisation of court records, online RTI portal, digital courts desktop application and e-filing and online appearance slip for lawyers. The live transcription will pave the way for a permanent record of the arguments, which will not only help the lawyers but also the students from law colleges who can know how these important cases were argued. Live streaming is a worldwide phenomenon, with constitutional courts in developed countries having their own channels. It will also help prevent disinformation and misinformation, bring discipline and improve how judges and lawyers conduct the proceedings, as they are aware that the public is watching. Such technological tools will help in bringing the judiciary closer to the people. A sustainable and accessible court ecosystem is to everyone’s benefit, particularly in India where there is a huge pendency of cases.

The US Supreme Court provides audio and text transcripts of the proceedings while many local American courts also make a stenographic record of most court proceedings. However, the digitisation of the judiciary in India must go hand in hand with improving cyber security infrastructure to prevent hacking. A robust cyber security system is necessary to prevent ransomware attacks, the kind that crippled the functioning of the AIIMS in Delhi recently. For hackers, India’s digitised court records are a tempting target. In 2018, the SC had declared the live telecast of court proceedings as part of the right to access justice under Article 21 of the Constitution. This landmark judgement by a three-judge bench, which included Justice Chandrachud, emphasised the need for the judiciary to adopt modern technological tools to promote a greater degree of public confidence in the judicial process. Subsequently, the Supreme Court’s e-Committee came up with model guidelines to regulate live-streaming of court proceedings across the country. In August last year, the apex court live-streamed its first proceedings. With Justice Chandrachud at the helm, e-Committee has initiated a string of novel steps after the highest court’s push for public access and transparency through live-streaming. In January, the CJI launched the electronic Supreme Court Reports (e-SCR) project to provide the digital version of the Supreme Court’s judgments. Currently, all constitution bench proceedings are live-streamed.