Allahabad High Court wants CCTV to find 'black sheep' in this District Court

The Allahabad High Court recently asked its administration to consider the feasibility of installing CCTV cameras inside the courtrooms at District Court in Lucknow to ensure that the judges perform their duties freely and fearlessly..The division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Om Prakash Shukla passed the order after taking note of several incidents of “unruly behaviour” at the district court where lawyers at times have barged into courtrooms and tried to pressurise the judge or advocates. However, the Court clarified that the installation of the CCTV cameras was not being sought to “put any stigma on the lawyers” practicing before the district court..It acknowledged that the majority of the lawyers there were well behaved but also pointed to the presence of some bad elements among them.“There are some black sheep in the family who bring a bad name to the entire legal fraternity and this measure is being recommended only to curb their activities because we are flooded with writ petitions where lawyers or those in the garb of being lawyers are alleged to influence court proceedings one way or the other by attempting to pressurize the presiding officers and at times barging into the court rooms in the midst of court proceedings as informed by the members of the bar,” the Court said. .The Court was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation related to the functioning of District Courts at Lucknow. It noted that the incidents of unruly behaviour had taken place not just in corridors but also courtrooms and chambers of judges.The Court referred to a recent incident where some persons dressed in advocates' uniform had entered the district court, beaten up a young man and taken ₹50,000 from him. “Let a report in this regard be requisitioned from the District Judge Lucknow,” the order said..The Court was told that CCTV cameras were installed in Ghaziabad District Court sometime ago to curb similar incidents. “Members of the bar have also informed us that the same had a salutary effect on the functioning of the judgeship in Ghaziabad, so is the information collected by us from judges who have been posted at Ghaziabad,” it recorded in the order..Thus, the Bench requested the administrative side of the High Court to consider installation of CCTV Cameras at Lucknow District Court as well on an experimental basis.“The Registrar General of this Court to place our request before Hon’ble the Chief Justice for his kind consideration on the administrative side. We are of the opinion that installation of such CCTV cameras inside the court rooms, as far as it may be feasible and permissible, may have a salutary effect on the orderly and smooth conduct of court proceedings and also of those who are participants therein, at Lucknow. Installation of cameras in other district Courts can also be contemplated at a subsequent stage, if required," the order said. The matter will be heard next on May 29..[Read Order]