Advocates may seek nod to appear online before SC, says CJI Ramana

Advocates may seek permission to appear online before the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India, Justice N V Ramana said here on Saturday. Speaking on aspects related to inclusivity at an event held at the Madras High Court, Justice Ramana batted for higher representation of women at all levels of the legal profession.

Inclusivity does not stop with only representation of women. The social and geographical diversity of the nation must find reflection at all levels of the judiciary, he said.

A judge from a particular region understands the issues of that area better and a judge from a marginalised section of the society could understand the issues of the marginalised people better.

Another aspect of inclusivity relates to the geographical barriers faced by both litigants and lawyers, while appearing before the Constitutional courts, he noted.

Referring to senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP, P Wilson introducing a private member's Bill in Parliament to enable setting up of regional benches of the Supreme Court, he said, "I am not aware if the Government of India has expressed its views on this subject." Further, the top court's Chief Justice said "...I have, in consultation with brother and sister judges in the Supreme Court, continued with online hearing for miscellaneous days which we had started during the pandemic."

On non-miscellaneous days, advocates can still seek the permission of the court to appear online, he said. "This is to enable advocates from all over the country to continue their practice before the Supreme Court. I hope this practise continues and is further strengthened in the future."

He appreciated the Tamil Nadu government for extending a helping hand to lawyers. "I would like to compliment the Chief Minister (M K Stalin), who is working hard for the bright future of the state. Chief Justice Mr Bhandari informs me, that the Chief Minister and the government are extremely co-operative in his efforts to strengthen the judiciary."