It must be the season for news about CCTV and audio-video recordings.  After I reported on two recent news about Supreme Court ordering CCTV in police lock-ups and prisons, and Supreme Court asking for CCTVs in all Delhi police stations; there is now news that the government is requesting Supreme Court to allow audio-video recording of court proceedings.  You hit us, we hit you!  It’s all good in the end, because the main beneficiary of all this tussle between executive and judiciary will be the common man.  In any case, both the police and judiciary are considered practically inaccessible to public, so there is no excuse for not implementing these things.  Better late than never.

Govt to petition Supreme Court to allow audio-video recording of court proceedings

Government will press for introduction of audio-video recording of court proceedings before a Supreme Court panel, maintaining that it enhances transparency and discourages witnesses from retracting statements.

It will urge the e-Committee of the apex court to allow audio-video recordings more than a year after a similar request was turned down by the panel.

To begin with, the facility is being mooted in subordinate courts.

Interesting.  There is an e-Committee in Supreme Court, and going by its name, it should be encouraging all things electronic and digital, but it is more interested in finding reasons how to turn down the proposal to allow audio-video recordings in courts, as it did earlier.

I got to know from one person who had been to Supreme Court, that the advocates there act in most servile manner and bow down and call the judges as “lordships”.  I am already aware that calling the judges as lordship is common practice in SC, but somehow can’t believe that lawyers who charge several lakhs per hearing will act in a servile manner.  I would love to see the video recordings of SC sessions one day, to see how the advocates act in front of judges.

Further the news says:

"Allowing such recordings can contribute to transparency of court processes by allowing a precise record of the proceedings and at the same time discouraging improper conduct in courts and wastage of court time".

"The efficiency of courts can also be enhanced by maintaining standard system generated formats of routine judgements and orders, particularly in civil cases, which may be used by courts for quick delivery of judgements," the Ministry said in the meeting.

The top court had recently dismissed petitions seeking approval for video recording of judicial proceeding. The view was that court system in the country has not reached the level where the video recording of court proceedings can be permitted.

“court system in the country has not reached the level…” Really?  The same SC had recently asked the government that if 15,000 CCTV cameras could be installed in Delhi to provide security for US President Barack Obama’s visit, why could the same cameras not be used for security of Delhi citizens?  Why do Indians love to equate themselves with the best in the world when the context suits them, but then turn around and act helpless and pitiable, in another situation?  It’s all too opportunistic and hypocritical, isn’t it?