All Supreme Court cases to be live-streamed? App beta version being considered

All Supreme Court cases to be live-streamed? In a big move, the Supreme Court is discussing live-streaming of all matters being heard in the top court. To facilitate live-streaming of all cases, beta version of an app is being tested, according to a report in Bar & Bench.

Though Constitution Bench matters have been live-streamed since 2022, this is the first time daily hearings are being considered for regular live streaming.

The live streaming of all the cases was done on the Supreme Court's own application instead of its official YouTube channel. Till date, only constitution bench matters and hearings of public importance have been live-streamed.

Recently, the three-judge bench hearings in the NEET-UG matter and the RG Kar suo motu case were also live-streamed considering the public interest. A key moment of the RG Kar case hearing involved advocate Kapil Sibal requesting for the live streaming to be stopped, alleging that the ‘reputation was being damaged’, and that women lawyers under Sibal were facing threats. CJI Chandrachud, however, refused the request, citing ‘public interest’.

SC cases to be livestreamed: A look back

Virtual access to the courtroom proceedings began in the year 2018. During the historic judgment in Swapnil Tripathi vs Supreme Court of India case, the apex court opened doors for virtual access to the courtroom proceedings.

In 2017, various individuals and groups including Swapnil Tripathi, and the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change, filed petitions before the Supreme Court of India under article 32 of the Constitution requesting live streaming of case proceedings. 

“Supreme Court case proceedings of ‘constitutional importance having an impact on the public at large or a large number of people’ should be live streamed in manner that is easily accessible for public viewing,” read the petition, as stated a study titled Global Freedom of Expression by the Columbia University.

The Court issued directions for live streaming of cases of constitutional and national importance, except for those involving juveniles, matrimonial issues, and sexual assault cases.

The first case live streamed ever was the EWS quota case in 2022, where petitions challenged the 103rd Constitution Amendment. Now with the Court initiating live-streaming for regular benches, the public will be able to watch the Court proceedings on regular matters.

In addition to the Supreme Court, High Courts are also adopting live-streaming, with the Gujarat High Court being the first to implement this practice.

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