Delhi High Court launches Telepresence Facility to expedite court proceedings

The Delhi High Court today launched its state of the art, Telepresence Facility..First of its kind, the Facility was inaugurated by former Supreme Court Judge, Justices Madan B Lokur..Former Supreme Court Judge, AK Sikri, retired Delhi High Court Judges, Justices Badar Durez Ahmed, VK Jain, SN Dhingra as well the current judges of the High Court marked their presence at the launch..The Facility has been set up by the Information Technology Branch of the High Court, under the supervision of the Information Technology Committee. The Committee is headed by Justice Rajiv Shakdher and comprises Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Navin Chawla as members..Powered by Cisco IX 5000 Telepresence System, the Facility is a triple-screen system which offers high-fidelity audio and video..The Facility has 4K ultra-high definition cameras and theatre-quality audio, giving impressions to participants of sitting- across the table..The telepresence room has a seating capacity of 18 persons and is also fitted with cameras for sharing any document with the participants..As demonstrated at the event, the system can easily integrate with the traditional video-conferencing system on smart devices like desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones..Therefore, the Facility enables one to schedule web meetings at any time or allow for real-time interactions via multiple modes..Such meetings through video-conferencing can take place anywhere including the court-rooms and chambers of judges with any remote locations with internet access..The Facility can thus be used for multiple purposes including recording statements, considering expert opinions etc of persons who are miles away from the Court..Speaking at the event Justice Shakdher hoped that this technology would prove to a boon for the High Court..Explaining the relevance and possible use of the Facility, Justice Shakdher added,.“In smaller matters where lawyers cannot come to court, such matters can be disposed of from lawyer’s chambers.”.While Chief Justice of High Court Rajendra Menon hoped that the Facility would help expedite the disposal of cases, Justice Sikri wished that similar facility is built in other Courts as well for inter-court connectivity..Justice Ahmed urged the Bench and the Bar to embrace the Facility..Justice S Ravindra Bhat recollected his experience with the launch of e-courts in the High Court..“This Court has been a pioneer and let’s remain so”, he said..Taking the discussion forward, Justice S Muralidhar congratulated the Registry and the computer branch of the High Court for their effort to make the High Court a paperless court. He also hoped that the High Court would soon start online filing..“The High Court has made tremendous stride”, Justice Lokur said as he spoke on how technology can benefit the judicial system..Bar & Bench is available on WhatsApp. For real-time updates on stories, click here to subscribe to our WhatsApp.