As courts continue to dispense justice using virtual means amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to see how judges have had to adapt accordingly..The judges, who used to have piles of case files and bare acts on their desks during hearings, have now switched over to the ease of laptops and tablets..The Supreme Court's Justice DY Chandrachud, while conducting a hearing via video conferencing, observed that virtual hearings have prompted him to write orders on his own, on his laptop. The usual practice is for judges to dictate orders to court masters/stenographers..Elaborating further on this change, Justice Chandrachud said,."Typing our own orders on the laptop is very good as the order becomes very precise and there is no need for any correction later.".Justice Chandrachud is among the very few judges who use the CISCO Webex platform for conducting video conference hearings, as opposed to the VIDYO app being used by other Supreme Court judges..He is also one of the judges who solely depends on his laptop to access all case files and orders..During another hearing, while the judge was looking over the case files on his laptop, a disgruntled Advocate V Prabhakar stated that "hearings via electronic medium" is problematic. The lawyer said,."I was in my drawing room, then to the hall and then on the street and now back in my drawing room and still I cannot get network.".Justice Chandrachud responded that courts cannot help in this, and that lawyers had to ensure that they had good bandwidth and connection.."I am not blaming my lords. I have a 5G connection and still no network," said the lawyer..When the three-judge bench of Justices Chandrachud, KM Joseph and Indu Malhotra adjourned the case by six weeks, and when the counsel was informed of the adjournment, he replied in the affirmative..To this Justice Chandrachud observed, "the counsel chooses to hear only what he wants to.".Last week, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde observed how the courts should now no longer be referred as "virtual courts", and ought to be treated like real courts..In June, a committee of seven Supreme Court judges, led by Justice NV Ramana, had decided to continue the virtual court system and not revert to physical hearings, given the “alarming growth” of COVID-19 cases in the country..No regular hearing at Supreme Court for now, Committee of seven Judges to take a call after court reopens on July 6.The Apex Court has been hearing urgent cases through video conference since March 23. The Benches hearing these cases sit in the courtrooms, while lawyers make their submissions through video links from their homes or offices.
As courts continue to dispense justice using virtual means amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to see how judges have had to adapt accordingly..The judges, who used to have piles of case files and bare acts on their desks during hearings, have now switched over to the ease of laptops and tablets..The Supreme Court's Justice DY Chandrachud, while conducting a hearing via video conferencing, observed that virtual hearings have prompted him to write orders on his own, on his laptop. The usual practice is for judges to dictate orders to court masters/stenographers..Elaborating further on this change, Justice Chandrachud said,."Typing our own orders on the laptop is very good as the order becomes very precise and there is no need for any correction later.".Justice Chandrachud is among the very few judges who use the CISCO Webex platform for conducting video conference hearings, as opposed to the VIDYO app being used by other Supreme Court judges..He is also one of the judges who solely depends on his laptop to access all case files and orders..During another hearing, while the judge was looking over the case files on his laptop, a disgruntled Advocate V Prabhakar stated that "hearings via electronic medium" is problematic. The lawyer said,."I was in my drawing room, then to the hall and then on the street and now back in my drawing room and still I cannot get network.".Justice Chandrachud responded that courts cannot help in this, and that lawyers had to ensure that they had good bandwidth and connection.."I am not blaming my lords. I have a 5G connection and still no network," said the lawyer..When the three-judge bench of Justices Chandrachud, KM Joseph and Indu Malhotra adjourned the case by six weeks, and when the counsel was informed of the adjournment, he replied in the affirmative..To this Justice Chandrachud observed, "the counsel chooses to hear only what he wants to.".Last week, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde observed how the courts should now no longer be referred as "virtual courts", and ought to be treated like real courts..In June, a committee of seven Supreme Court judges, led by Justice NV Ramana, had decided to continue the virtual court system and not revert to physical hearings, given the “alarming growth” of COVID-19 cases in the country..No regular hearing at Supreme Court for now, Committee of seven Judges to take a call after court reopens on July 6.The Apex Court has been hearing urgent cases through video conference since March 23. The Benches hearing these cases sit in the courtrooms, while lawyers make their submissions through video links from their homes or offices.
