It was from September 27 of last year when the top court enabled the live streaming of the hearings of cases. This was a historic decision that brought the much-needed transparency in the judicial system, while also allowing citizens to be part of major decisions. And among the petitioners, who cited the principle of open access to justice, was Senior Advocate Indira Jaising.
Indira Jaising, through her petition, had approached the Apex Court seeking live streaming of court proceedings. And her intent behind it was, to minimize fake news or misinformation so that people could listen and see for themselves to find out what’s happening. The good part is, this step tries to divide accessibility equally – as it should be. So it doesn’t come down only to the ones with privilege.
“Immediately commence live streaming as a part of the fundamental right of every citizen to freedom of information namely the right to receive information as also the right of access to justice.”
Indira Jaising had written to SC
Too many of us spent the past three days glued to our mobile or laptop screens, to find out about the advancements in the marriage equality hearings. These hearings are not only informative for us, as citizens, but also offer a sense of awareness with all the noise around us. And the fact that this was made possible, at all, deserves due credit.
“How can people know what is being said on their behalf? So the first impact is going to be accountability of not only the court, but also the lawyers.”
Indira Jaising
A big step, indeed.