New Delhi. Hours after Chief Justice (CJI) NV Raman on Monday expressed displeasure over the disruption caused during digital hearings due to the use of mobile phones, the Supreme Court held a video conference hearing with lawyers and litigants. To join, you are asked to use a desktop computer or laptop with a strong internet connection.
According to the notification issued by the apex court’s registry, “All advocates and litigants appearing in person are requested to attend the court hearings through video conference from any desktop or laptop with strong internet connection.” Join Webex Application. According to the notification, there should be such connectivity that there is no disturbance and inconvenience to the judges. In this, lawyers and litigants have been advised to connect to the digital hearing from any single device, laptop or desktop.
It said, ‘All advocates, litigants appearing in person should give preference to headsets fitted with microphones in hearing through video conference. Please also close all the apps running in the background on the computer for the best experience.’
The notification assumes significance as a bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hima Kohli earlier in the day was unhappy that there was interference in the voice or visuals or both by the advocates during the hearing. Due to which the hearing in 10 cases listed on Monday had to be adjourned.
The CJI observed in one case, ‘Lawyers are appearing using their mobile phones and are not visible. We may have to ban the use of this mobile. Vakil sir you are now practicing in Supreme Court and appearing regularly. Can’t you put up the desktop (computer) to argue?’
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During the hearing of another matter, the bench took cognizance of the lawyer’s faulty internet connection and said, “We have no energy to hear cases like this.” Please put in place a system so we can hear you. Ten such cases are over and we are shouting. The apex court has been hearing cases through video-conference since March 2020 due to the pandemic and has been relaxing or hardening the conditions from time to time keeping in mind the changing circumstances of the pandemic.
On January 2, the apex court, taking cognizance of the sudden increase in the cases of Kovid-19 in the country, had decided to hear all the cases through video conferencing from January 7. These benches are currently sitting in the residential offices of the judges. It advised lawyers and litigants to join the virtual proceedings through a single device, either a laptop or a desktop. "All advocates, party-in-person must also join the hearings preferably using a headset enabled microphone and audio system..." the notification further reads.
The SC bench was irked over frequent disruptions as the lawyers or litigants were mostly joining the proceedings through phones using mobile data and even observed that it may have to ban participation through mobiles.
During the hearing of one of the cases, the bench took note of poor internet connectivity at the lawyer's end and said, "We have no energy to hear cases like this. Ten matters are over like this and we are shouting."
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