NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is using technology to bring courtrooms closer to the public, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Monday. Online streaming of proceedings has also brought the court into peoples’ homes and hearts. Speaking at the inaugural regional conference on legal aid access, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said the following. ‘Access to Legal Aid: Strengthening Access to Justice in the Global South’ is the conference’s theme. The term “Global South” refers to countries that are thought to have a comparatively low degree of economic and industrial development.Speaking to the audience, CJI stated that India was instrumental in the founding of the Supreme Court of Mauritius and that it had recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Supreme Court of Singapore. CJI stated that he has launched multiple initiatives to improve access to justice during his time as a Supreme Court judge, citing technology as the most effective tool. “We are using it to bring the courtroom closer to people,” said the Chief Justice. “Online streaming of proceedings has taken the Supreme Court of India to the hearts and homes of common citizens,” the Chief Justice of India stated. It’s about creating a welcoming environment in courtrooms, he stated. According to CJI, the global north has monopolised the conversation about human rights, so it is crucial to emphasise that this conference will help to foster greater interaction between the global south’s nations. “The Supreme Court of India made revolutionary attempts to increase access to justice through its public interest jurisprudence since the early 1980s,” CJI DY Chandrachud stated. The Supreme Court eliminated procedural obstacles, enabling any citizen to petition the court for equitable socioeconomic improvement. Because of its jurisprudence, the Supreme Court is commonly recognised as the court of the people.Our Supreme Court handles all appeals and legal aid infractions with the utmost care.” According to CJI DY Chandrachud, “Countries in the global south have been grouped together based on their socioeconomic conditions and legal responses to their colonial past.” Our constitutions depart from the justice and constitutionalism language used by most Western countries. Many countries in the global south have recognised the existence of indigenous minorities in their constitutions. Tribal groups that have experienced historical discrimination and have made special provisions to explicitly recognise their rights… The judiciary possesses the capacity to significantly contribute to expanding the availability of justice. Several nations, including India, have created creative legal procedures to improve access to justice.
