SC completes 100 days of hearing cases via video conferencing, over 15,000 cases heard
Nearly 3,419 of those cases were connected cases, that is, cases involving the same issue which were heard along with the main case. The apex court also disposed of approximately 4,300 cases during this period.
The Supreme Court has heard more than 15,500 cases through video conferencing from March 23 till date.
Nearly 3,419 of those cases were connected cases, that is, cases involving the same issue which were heard along with the main case. The apex court also disposed of approximately 4,300 cases during this period.
August 20 will be the 100th working day for the Supreme Court through the video conference facility.
The court started hearing cases through video conference on March 23, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The top court also issued a circular on March 23 suspending entry of lawyers and litigants to the court premises and directing that only extremely urgent cases would be taken up for hearing through video conferencing during the lockdown period.
The summer vacation which is usually seven weeks long was cut short to two weeks this year so as to make up for the reduced number of cases which are being heard through video conference.
The hearings in the Supreme Court are conducted through the Vidyo app which can be downloaded on mobile phones and desktop. The platform is hosted on the servers of the National Data Centre of National Informatics Centre.
While the judges on the bench join the video conference from the residence of one of the judges or the Supreme Court, the lawyers join from their respective houses or chambers.
The number of benches hearing cases through video conference has increased steadily with time and so has the number of cases which are being heard per day. Initially the court used to hear 15 to 20 cases per day with 1 or 2 benches sitting each day. Currently, 5 to 6 benches sit everyday and hear more than 200 cases per day.
The number is still less in comparison to normal times when at least 500 to 700 cases are heard by the apex court on a single day alone.
The court is expected to resume physical hearing of cases in a limited manner in the coming days.
