Lok Sabha Question No. 673 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-06
Subject: Live Telecast of Court Proceedings
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: UDIT RAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †673

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 06 TH  FEBRUARY, 2019.

## Live Telecast of Court Proceedings

†673. DR. UDIT RAJ:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the live telecast of the proceedings of the High Court, Supreme Court and District  Courts  would  bring  transparency  in  their  functioning  as  has  been observed  in  the  working  of  the  Government  after  starting  live  telecast  of proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to take any step to bring such transparency in the judiciary; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be done?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d): A Writ Petition was filed in the Hon'ble Supreme Court, seeking declaration for permitting live streaming of Supreme Court case proceedings of constitutional and national importance having an impact on the public at large and a direction to make available the necessary infrastructure for live streaming and to frame guidelines for the determination of such cases which are of constitutional and national importance.    The  Hon'ble  Supreme Court vide its Judgment dated 26 th September, 2018 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 66 of 2018 -  Indira  Jai  Singh versus Secretary  General  of  Supreme  Court  &  Others  has inter-alia observed that : (i) it is important to re-emphasise the significance of live-streaming as an extension of the principle of open justice and open courts; (ii)The process of live-streaming should be subjected to carefully structured guidelines, (iii) Initially, a pilot project may be conducted for about three months  by live-streaming only cases of national and constitutional  importance  which  can  be  expanded  in  due  course  with  availability  of infrastructure.

In Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 99 of 2015 (Pradyuman Bisht versus Union of India & others), Supreme Court of India, inter-alia, directed that CCTV cameras (without audio recording) may be installed inside the subordinate courts and at such important locations of the court complexes as may be considered appropriate in at least two districts of every State / Union Territory (with the exception of small States / Union Territories where it may be  considered  to  be  difficult  to  do  so  by  the  concerned  High  Courts).    The  Hon`ble Supreme Court further directed that it is desirable that CCTV cameras are installed in all subordinate courts in such phased manner as may be considered appropriate by the High Courts.  In pursuance of the above direction of the Hon'ble Court, a copy of the order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court was forwarded to Registrars General of all High Courts and Chief Secretaries / Administrators of all States / UTs by the Department of Justice, Ministry of  Law  and  Justice  on  28 th August,  2017  for  taking  action  to  install  cameras  in  all Subordinate  Courts.    The  respective  High  Courts  are  to  decide  and  take  action  for installation  CCTV  cameras  in  the  subordinate  courts  in  their  jurisdiction.    It  has  been further directed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court that the footage of the CCTV cameras will not be available under R.T.I. and will not be supplied to anyone without permission of the concerned High Court.

****************