A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the indulgence of the Court to put into mandatory use, the pre-installed mic-system..The petition filed by a law student, Kapildeep Agarwal and two lawyers, Kumar Shanu and Paras Jain contends that the non-usage of the mic-system not only violates fundamental rights but also creates hindrance in the administration of justice..The petition further contends that media correspondents face difficulty in transpiring the court proceedings which may, in turn, lead to misreporting by the media. It further contends that law interns also face an issue in comprehending the court proceedings, which is detrimental to their career growth..“With the rise of digital media platforms, there is a great rush to break the news in real time by the Media Persons. This might cause misreporting leading to irreparable loss to all”, the petition states..The petitioners had, in July 2017, filed an application under RTI Act with Public Information Officer of the Supreme Court seeking the reasons for installation of mic system and the cost involved..The petitioners were informed that the mic system has been an inherent part of the Court Room Infrastructure since the time of its inception. The petitioners were also informed that an amount of ₹ 91 lakh was spent for the replacement of the pre-installed mic-system in the apex court..In their petition, the petitioners have also placed reliance on a report submitted by the National Courtroom Management Systems (NCMS) on Court Development Planning System, which observed that there should be provisions for a sound amplification system with microphones on judge’s table so that the judge’s directions/ questions to lawyers and witnesses are heard clearly..Based on the above grounds the petitioners have prayed that the mic-system be put to mandatory use by advocates and judges..Last year, the petitioners had made a written representation to the Chief Justice Dipak Misra requesting him to ensure that the mics are used but did not receive any reponse..Read the petition below..Read representation to CJI:
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the indulgence of the Court to put into mandatory use, the pre-installed mic-system..The petition filed by a law student, Kapildeep Agarwal and two lawyers, Kumar Shanu and Paras Jain contends that the non-usage of the mic-system not only violates fundamental rights but also creates hindrance in the administration of justice..The petition further contends that media correspondents face difficulty in transpiring the court proceedings which may, in turn, lead to misreporting by the media. It further contends that law interns also face an issue in comprehending the court proceedings, which is detrimental to their career growth..“With the rise of digital media platforms, there is a great rush to break the news in real time by the Media Persons. This might cause misreporting leading to irreparable loss to all”, the petition states..The petitioners had, in July 2017, filed an application under RTI Act with Public Information Officer of the Supreme Court seeking the reasons for installation of mic system and the cost involved..The petitioners were informed that the mic system has been an inherent part of the Court Room Infrastructure since the time of its inception. The petitioners were also informed that an amount of ₹ 91 lakh was spent for the replacement of the pre-installed mic-system in the apex court..In their petition, the petitioners have also placed reliance on a report submitted by the National Courtroom Management Systems (NCMS) on Court Development Planning System, which observed that there should be provisions for a sound amplification system with microphones on judge’s table so that the judge’s directions/ questions to lawyers and witnesses are heard clearly..Based on the above grounds the petitioners have prayed that the mic-system be put to mandatory use by advocates and judges..Last year, the petitioners had made a written representation to the Chief Justice Dipak Misra requesting him to ensure that the mics are used but did not receive any reponse..Read the petition below..Read representation to CJI:
