To make the judicial hearings more transparent and accessible to the common citizen of the country, the Supreme Court has started live streaming all court proceedings on its website. The weblink to watch live is available at [https://appstreaming.sci.gov.in](https://appstreaming.sci.gov.in).
So far, the Supreme Court has broadcast live on YouTube, the hearings of its Constitution Bench and all other national importance hearings. It has also used AI and natural language processing technology for live transcription of significant hearings.
Recently, SC hearings in the NEET-UG matter and R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital suo moto case managed to get a huge public view. Supreme Court, in the Swapnil Tripathi (2018) judgment, has already favored live streaming in important cases. Subsequent thereto, it was resolved by the full court that the proceedings of the Constitution Benches shall be subjected to live streaming so that citizens from every nook and corner of the country witness the proceedings of the top court.
It was last year in August that, while presiding over the Constitution Bench in "Re: Article 370 of the Constitution", Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud had also said that the Supreme Court was creating its own cloud software to conduct video conferencing for virtual hearings in all the lower courts in the country. In Phase III of eCourts (Project), we have a huge budget so, we are in the process of setting up our own cloud software for video conferencing". He added.
The Chief Justice had pointed out that during the pandemic, courts across India held as many as 43 million hearings through virtual mode. Also, in another move that went about shedding the colonial imprint and traditional attributes, under the leadership of CJI Chandrachud, who is demitting office on 10 November, the statue of Lady Justice, in the judges' library of the Supreme Court, now holds a copy of the Indian Constitution, instead of a sword, and the blindfold has come off to leave her with open eyes.
Traditionally, the blindfold indicated equality before the law as the distribution of justice was not to be dependent upon status, wealth, or power. The sword symbolized power and the right to condemn injustice. However, the scales of justice in her right hand have been retained to signify a balance in society as well as the need for careful thought and consideration of facts and arguments on either side before the verdict could be given.
Read also| Lady Justice in SC Library Now Depicts Open-Eyed Stance with the Constitution
