Mumbai: Experts see a brighter future for transparency and civic learning

After the Supreme Court the Bombay Lawyers Association has requested the Bombay High Court to begin live streaming its hearings Once implemented this would be a key step toward enhancing legal education and improving public access to justice Lawyers law faculty and students support the move noting that live streaming offers realtime insights into the legal system that books and mock trials cannot provideRealtime accessWhen asked whether a letter had been submitted to the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court CJ requesting the live streaming of court proceedings Advocate Eknath Dhokale Secretary of Bombay Lawyers Association confirmed in the affirmative Advocate Dhokale stated ldquoTo begin with live streaming will be introduced for at least five division benches of the high court within the next few months The CJ had also made an oral observation to this effect in open court while hearing a related matterrdquoAdvocate Eknath Dhokale Secretary Bombay Lawyers Association right Advocate Jamshed MistryldquoLive streaming of court proceedings will bring muchneeded transparency to the judiciary and prove immensely beneficial for law students academicians and budding advocates It will allow them to observe high court proceedings in real time Furthermore it will highlight the dynamic relationship between the Bar and the Bench something that until now law students have only read about in texts likerdquo he addedTechenabled justiceldquoFinally Swapnil Tripathirsquos Supreme Court judgment pronounced in 2018 gets implemented in Maharashtra This move by the Bombay High Court will ensure transparency of court proceedings and clarity for both litigants practising advocates and law students as well We hope that this will lead to transparency in proceedings even in lower courts with the availability of technology Maharashtra joins a list of several other states that have implemented the judgmentrdquo said Advocate Jamshed Mistry who has appeared as Amicus Curiae in many highprofile casesLegal pedagogyldquoFrom the perspective of an academician the initiative of livestreaming Bombay High Court hearings profoundly enriches both pedagogy and scholarship It brings the abstract principles of judicial process to life allowing students to observe realworld advocacy judgewitness interactions and courtroom demeanour with unparalleled immediacy It is often said that legal education should also prepare students for litigation and therefore one of the ways till date has been learning the skills of litigation by internships visiting courts and observing the proceedings after learning hours in colleges This initiative will now make the process of learning litigation skills much easier and accessiblerdquo said Dr Tanaya Kamlakar assistant professor Law Maharashtra National Law University MumbaiDr Tanaya Kamlakar assistant professor Law Maharashtra National Law UniversityldquoWith careful protocols to protect confidentiality and manage sensitive content this initiative balances academic rigour with ethical responsibility ultimately elevating legal education and reinforcing the judiciaryrsquos role as a pillar of an informed societyrdquo Dr Kamlakar addedWelcome moveldquoThe initiative to livestream proceedings at the High Court of Judicature at Bombay is a welcome move and a muchneeded requirement in the dissemination of education and information not only to the legal fraternity but also the general public at large It is amusing though alarming to note that the general impression of legal proceedings both among law students and the public are largely based on TV serials and entertainment programmes which are far from the reality of courtroom proceedings The livestreaming of proceedings will enable citizens to be aware of what actually transpires in a court of lawrdquo said Advocate Floyd GraciasldquoThe move to livestream courtroom proceedings will further enhance the dissemination of information inherent within the ambit of Article 191a and the Right to Education enshrined within the expanded definition of Article 21 and Article 21Ardquo said Advocate GraciasldquoFurther the livestreaming of proceedings will enhance transparency of the judicial mechanisms The initiative to livestream legal proceedings will be yet another step forward towards accessibility of information and education on legal proceedings to law students junior lawyers and the citizens alikerdquo Advocate Gracias added