In a step that may have far-reaching effects on the future of the judiciary,the Bombay High Court on Monday observed that video recording of court proceedings may reduce crowding on the court premises and spare the judges the agony of frivolous allegations against them. The court was hearing an application filed by activist Indur Chhugani (63) urging it to videograph the proceedings in his petition challenging the election of Congress Member of Parliament Priya Dutt. Chhugani contended that video recording of proceedings in his petition should be carried out at his expense in the interest of transparency,justice,equity and fair play. After hearing Chhuganis submissions,Justice RC Chavan asked the Registrars Legal and Information Technology (IT) to inform the court about the viability of the proposition and adjourned the case till September 23. The Registrar,IT,has been asked to state the type of equipment required,time needed for its installation,its cost,and the Registrar,Legal,has been asked to check the modalities and feasibility of videographing court proceedings. The Advocate General and the Chaiman of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa have also been asked to submit their take on the proposition. In the light of the recent bomb blast outside the Delhi High Court,Justice Chavan said if the litigants could follow the court proceedings being recorded on a camera in a waiting room or from their homes,courts would be less crowded. Considering what happened outside Delhi High Court,this method (video recording) can ensure smaller crowds, the court said. The issue is important and the application has far-reaching effects. Every action of the court should be recorded. This will also involve scrutiny of the conduct of all persons present in court, Justice Chavan said. He added that recording of the proceedings may also be welcomed by judges as this would prevent levelling of allegations against them.
