Madras HC zooms into era of digital hearing seamlessly

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.04.2020

The Madras high court is not letting Covid-19 disrupt judicial work. The HC, which is among the nation’s oldest high courts, is putting to use latest digital tools, including video conferencing app ‘Zoom’, to conduct its proceedings amid the lockdown.

Over the past fortnight, judges sitting in different places heard cases addressed by government law officers from one location and lawyers from another.

In one instance, a lawyer was bike-borne when his case was ‘called’. He sought a minute — not an adjournment — parked his vehicle and addressed the court on the sidelines of a busy road. That is how urgent matters relating to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and some bail applications have been heard so far.

A division bench of Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice R Suresh Kumar have heard at least 10 cases so far using ‘Zoom’.

“It was very comfortable. I participated from my residence and the judges from their residential chambers,” additional advocate general P H Arvindh Pandian, who represented the state government, said.

Video-hearings first came about more than two years ago. Sitting in Madurai, Justice S Vaidyanathan heard a case argued in another part of the city via Skype. He took to Skype at the instance of the then administrative judge of Madurai bench of the court, Justice V Ramasubramaniam, now a judge in the Supreme Court.

As for the present proceedings, Pandian said the only drawback was that the judges of the division bench could not have a facility for private discussion between them. Given the emergent situation, it is not a big issue, he added.

“But, how far such digital platforms will be useful for India judiciary has to be seen in the long run,” Pandian said. All correspondence in connection with the cases from government authorities have occurred only through digital mode, he said.

“They send an email with the information needed or in some cases the documents were sent through WhatsApp. At no point was a physical visit of an officer needed,” Pandian said.

If they were to use the inhouse video-conferencing facility, judges and staff have to visit the high court premises, whereas this app just needs to be installed on their mobile phones, said officials in the office of registrar (IT).

At any given point of time not more than 40 members are on call, including the judges, law officers and advocates. But the entire hearing was seamless without any interruption. This is the first time in the history of state judiciary a private digital tool has been used to conduct hearings, officials said.

Advocate M L Ravi, who argued two PILs through the digital tool, called the experience “fantastic”. Though initially there were some connection and other problems, once every participant got used to the app, it was like a routine court hearing, he said. “There were no glitches at all. I represented for two PILs. One from my senior’s residence in T Nagar and another from my residence,” he added.

In one instance, a lawyer was bike-borne when his case was ‘called’. He sought a minute — not an adjournment — parked his vehicle and addressed the court using ‘Zoom’ app on the sidelines of a busy road