Order of Honourable Chief Justice – Experimental Live streaming of first court proceedings

Public will be allowed to view court proceedings through video conferencing

In a order issued by Chief Justice of High Court of Gujarat, Justice Vikram Nath, all the benches of High Court of Gujarat are functioning through video conferencing amidst Covid 19 pandemic. Apart from all the Ld. Advocates of both the parties of both sides, the parties, victims and corpus remain present through video hearing for interaction or viewing the proceedings when their presence is required during the proceedings.

In the Model Video Conferencing Rules as prescribed by the eCommittee of Honourable Supreme Court of India, it has been provided that public will be allowed to view the Court hearing conducted through video conferencing.

In the judgment of WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 1232 OF 2017, Honourable the Supreme Court of India has directed for live streaming of the Court proceedings. This Court has also observed on judicial side in R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 99 of 2020, relating to working out the modalities of live streaming of Court proceedings for media personnel.

Accordingly, with a view to effectuating and broadening the implementation of Open Court concept even during the virtual hearings of the Court, Gujarat High Court has already taken up on administrative side, to work out the modalities that can be adopted for giving access to anyone who wishes to watch the Court proceedings in live. It is thus ensuring smooth functioning of the Benches and distraction free virtual hearing while making open such access, are being deliberated upon.

As part of the said exercise, in order to ascertain the feasibility and workability of the available options for the same, this is to direct that, court proceedings of the Division Bench No. 1 [First Court] of the High Court will be telecast live, purely on experimental basis, from Monday the 26th October, 2020

As per the release Youtube, link of the same would be available from the homepage of the website of the High Court. Aspect of continuing with or adapting the modality of live court proceedings will be decided based on the outcome of this trial starting today and any other trial of any other modality that may be taken up in due course.”

The experimental live streaming of the First Court has accordingly started on Monday. The link is accessible from the High Court website and will also be available in the Youtube Channel of the High Court of Gujarat. The link will be updated every evening of the previous working day.