India’s system of live-streaming court proceedings is unmatched, says SC’s Justice Surya Kant

He further said that having access to live proceedings in courts leads to a better understanding of law and justice for the common man and that strengthens the system itself.

The system of virtual courts and hybrid hearings will prove to be a boon for women lawyers who have to balance the home front and their profession, says Justice Surya Kant | ANI

Chandigarh: The system of hybrid hearings and live streaming of court proceedings set up in India remains unmatched compared to the rest of the world and is something to be proud of, Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant has said.

In an interview with ThePrint in Chandigarh, the judge said live streaming of judicial proceedings has contributed in bringing the judicial process to the common man.

Asked to comment on how live streaming of proceedings from various high courts in India has given rise to ‘celebrity judges’, Justice Surya Kant said, “Having access to live proceedings in courts leads to a better understanding of law and justice for the common man and that strengthens the system itself.”

He further said that earlier, the public had little to no knowledge about court proceedings, but with live streaming, anyone can get to know about them from anywhere at any time.

“The thing that I find the most beneficial in our big country, the cases that are in Tamil Nadu, or the Northeast or Kerala, the litigation expenses along with travel and accommodation costs are reduced because of live streaming that one can watch in one’s home — what my advocate has argued, what the judge has questioned. (It) gives satisfaction that even if the ruling is against the person, he would know the reasons. So I think this is something very good to enhance the trust for the system among the common people,” he added.

Asked about the challenges deepfakes and Artificial Intelligence pose to the system of virtual courts, Justice Surya Kant said the advantages of technology have to be weighed against its disadvantages or drawbacks. “I think we should not be afraid of the advancement of (AI) technology and should engage with it to see how it can help the system improve. The side effects or the adverse effects that exist, for them I think we can bring regulations to prevent misuse. But the advancement in technology and its effective application should definitely be encouraged.”

‘Virtual courts will prove to be a boon for women lawyers’

The SC judge was invited by the Punjab and Haryana Federation of Women Lawyers to speak on ‘Work life balance in the legal profession: A gendered perspective’ as part of the conference. Speaking to ThePrint, he talked about the large gap between the number of male lawyers and female lawyers. On an average, 45 percent of admissions in national law schools are of female students but only 15 percent take up law as a profession, he added.

“These numbers will gradually change but it will require institutional interventions, and a more conducive environment for young women lawyers to flourish. The environment of the profession is getting better, our infrastructure is getting better, facilities are improving. Technology too will help bridge this gap,” he said.

According to Justice Surya Kant, the system of virtual courts and hybrid hearings will “prove to be a boon for women lawyers who have to balance the home front and their profession”.

“I am a very optimistic man. I think there would be a day not so much in the future when women lawyers would overtake men and we all will be very proud of them,” he said.

He added that the amount of hard work a lawyer needs to put into their profession remains the same for both men and women lawyers. “The nature of the law profession is such that everyone, whether it is a man or a woman, has to go through a period of struggle…for first generation lawyers, the struggle is more…those who already belong to a house of lawyers have some advantage. My message is simple — that one should not get discouraged by struggles…it is a challenge which should be accepted and overcome.”

During his lecture, Justice Surya Kant suggested institutional intervention in the form of bar councils and other stakeholders creating a system of honorarium for young female lawyers who had to take breaks from their careers to take care of their children.

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)