Delhi HC rejects plea seeking live streaming of court proceedings

New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has rejected a petition seeking live streaming of court proceedings, saying in view of the phased implementation of the initiative and the ongoing deliberations within the committees concerned, any judicial interference in the matter would be premature and inappropriate.

The petitioner asserted that the live streaming facility, which was initiated last year, should also include recording of court proceedings as it would deter advocates from potentially misleading the courts and enhance judicial transparency.

The high court administration, in response, said a comprehensive implementation of live streaming, which involves substantial development of IT infrastructure, in all courtrooms was unfeasible at this time due to logistical constraints and presently, the facility was available on a case-to-case basis and in two courtrooms only.

Justice Sanjeev Narula said it was apparent that the Delhi High Court was “actively engaged in addressing the logistical and infrastructural challenges” associated with expanding the initiative of live streaming and prematurely extending services without adequate preparation may compromise the quality and security of judicial proceedings.

The court stated that imposing rigid timelines without regard to technical challenges and resource allocation would not be prudent in this case.

“This court acknowledges the efforts made in initiating the live streaming of court proceedings, recognising the complexity and technical requirements involved in such an undertaking.

“It is apparent that the Delhi High Court is actively engaged in addressing the logistical and infrastructural challenges associated with expanding this initiative. Given the phased implementation and the ongoing deliberations within the Delhi High Court’s committees, judicial intervention to mandate specific actions or timelines would be both premature and inappropriate,” stated Justice Narula in an order passed on August 20.

With respect to the petitioner’s request for the recording of certain proceedings pending before a division bench, the court observed that since the live streaming mechanism is currently operational only in a limited scope, on a case-by-case basis and in only two courtrooms, the request cannot be allowed.

“The proceedings before the Division bench are being conducted under the applicable rules which are ‘High Court of Delhi Rules for Video Conferencing for Courts, 2021’ which in Rule 3(vi) specifically bars recording of proceedings on video conferencing.

“Hence the said proceedings which are being conducted under the hybrid/ video conferencing mechanism cannot be recorded,” it said.

The court also said providing copies of the recordings conducted on live streaming is currently governed by specific rules which are based on privacy concerns and expanding access without considering these factors could potentially lead to misuse and raise security concerns.

“Adjustments to the recording procedures are technical matters best left to the discretion of the court’s IT and administrative teams, who are equipped with the expertise to ensure compliance with legal standards and operational efficiency,” it said.

“Accordingly, the present writ petition is dismissed, along with any pending applications, affirming the court’s confidence in the existing processes and the Delhi High Court’s commitment to enhancing judicial transparency responsibly and judiciously,” concluded the court.