Hybrid Hearing: Not a Necessity, But an Opportunity
India Legal|June 28, 2021
The breakout of Covid-19 necessitated the formation of digital courts. However, not all lawyers are conversant with its intricacies. The way out is hybrid courts like abroad which will serve the citizens well
Lily Thomas Jr-SAJU JAKOB
Hybrid Hearing: Not a Necessity, But an Opportunity

WHAT was earlier an absolute exception has become a new common for the commons— judicial proceedings through video conferences to ensure functionality in the time of the corona pandemic.

All courts were closed around the globe between March-April 2020 and it was a challenging moment for the judiciary to offer a reasonable and sufficient level of judicial dispensation. In no time, an alternative model was put in place with the uptake of video courts.

The Supreme Court’s e-committee, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, understood the dynamics of the complex situation and seized the opportunity of technological transformation through virtual courts. The herculean task for the e-committee was not only to convert the physical court into a digital one, but to convert the mindset of lawyers from the concept of classical courts to the new virtual life. An unaccustomed system was called into their professional life with a different set of rules.

It has given them more problems than solutions. Some lawyers sat for an indefinite strike for a short period of time and some filed cases before the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for resumption of physical hearings. Amidst all these views, the e-committee continued its efforts to upgrade the system swiftly.

Since the introduction of virtual courts, around one crore cases have been handled by the judiciary from March 2020 to May 2021 through video courts. The e-committee, by the publication of the draft model rules of live stream and recording, invited various suggestions from May 28 from all stakeholders. If it is implemented with precision and perfection, it will be a landmark achievement towards transparency.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM INDIA LEGALView all
PIL, Difficult To Swallow?
India Legal

PIL, Difficult To Swallow?

In a recent ruling, the Bombay High Court lamented the increasing number of frivolous public interest litigations being filed in courts and echoed the sentiments of the Supreme Court that such litigations are the bane of the judicial system. Is there any way to restrict their misuse?

time-read
6 mins  |
February 13, 2023
Till Infertility Do Us Part...
India Legal

Till Infertility Do Us Part...

The Calcutta High Court slammed a husband for initiating divorce proceedings due to his wife's infertility and asked him to be a pillar of support for her. Courts have often taken an empathetic view in such matters

time-read
4 mins  |
February 13, 2023
IS THAT LEGAL?
India Legal

IS THAT LEGAL?

Ignorance of law is no excuse. Here are answers to frequently asked queries regarding matters that affect us on a day-to-day basis

time-read
3 mins  |
February 13, 2023
The Big Lie
India Legal

The Big Lie

In America, The Big Lie is an idiom used by Donald Trump's opponents and the media to describe his constant gripe about election fraud. Now, it seems more suited to another Republican, Congressman George Santos (right), who has been facing growing calls to resign after he admitted fabricating parts of his resume and biography since his election in New York last year.

time-read
1 min  |
February 13, 2023
Flying into the Sunset
India Legal

Flying into the Sunset

Over 50 years since the first and original jumbo jet, the Boeing 747, took to the skies and revolutionized air travel, the last of the legendary aircraft (right) was delivered to a freight charter company, bringing down the curtain on one of aviation's most successful products.

time-read
1 min  |
February 13, 2023
Star Crossed
India Legal

Star Crossed

Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is a Hollywood legend, having starred in a range of movies, award winning TV sitcoms, and theatre. He was most recently seen in Mission Impossible Fallout, which is an apt description of his current situation.

time-read
1 min  |
February 13, 2023
Walkouts in the UK
India Legal

Walkouts in the UK

An estimated half a million workers have gone on strike, shutting down thousands of schools, public transport and border disruption. It is the biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade.

time-read
1 min  |
February 13, 2023
Myanmar's Misery
India Legal

Myanmar's Misery

Two years after the military coup ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the brutal crackdown by the junta on so-called \"insurgents\" and civilian protesters has reached a new level with the use of air strikes, a new and deadly tactic in the ongoing civil war.

time-read
1 min  |
February 13, 2023
AMERICA'S ANGST
India Legal

AMERICA'S ANGST

From messy, divisive politics to a series of mass shootings, and now black officers brutally beating another black man to death as seen in bodycam videos, America's domestic convulsions are cause for serious introspection

time-read
4 mins  |
February 13, 2023
JUSTICE LEAGUE
India Legal

JUSTICE LEAGUE

There are few judicial appointment procedures in the world that are completely bereft of the overarching presence of either the executive or the legislature, or both. In the end, the judge is left with all the powers vested in him/her by the constitution to uphold the rule of law, within an atmosphere of external influences

time-read
9 mins  |
February 13, 2023