Karnataka High Court begins live streaming on an experimental basis

Bengaluru: With the Supreme Court strongly advocating bringing transparency in judiciary, the Karnataka High Court on Monday streamed the proceedings in Court Hall-1, headed by a Division Bench Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj live on the High Court's YouTube Channel on an experimental basis.

The High Court launched its live streaming on its official Youtube channel - High Court of Karnataka Official. This channel has existed since almost a year but it was mainly used for posting videos about its routine programmes such as the inauguration of ceremonies and seminars.

This is the first time proceedings were streamed live and depending on the success the high court is likely to extend it to all courts.

"It is as part of this process that at the moment, proceedings of one courtroom shall be live streamed in an experimental manner. Whether to continue with or adapt this modality of live streaming, will be decided based on the outcome of this experiment," a senior official of the High Court told reporters.

The cases live streamed were final hearing proceedings of two PIL petitions filed Baithkol Bandaru Nirashrithara Yantrikrut Dhoni Meenugarara Sahakara Sangha Niyamitha, and the Uttara Kannada District Fishermen Association.

Issues related to environmental impact and alleged violation of environmental laws in approval of the proposed second stage development of Commercial Karwar Port at Baithkol village, Karwar Taluka, Uttara Kannada District on a plot area of 17 hectares in addition to the existing area of three hectares were the main issues raised in the petitions.

In the afternoon session, when the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Oka heard the matters, it orally remarked that they have live streamed proceedings of two petitions and it is being done on an experimental basis. "It is our duty to put members of the Bar to notice," the CJ said.

In October 2020, the Gujarat High Court was first in the country to experiment with live streaming of court proceedings and Karnataka is the second state to start live streaming of proceedings.

In a bid to promote transparency and probity in judicial proceedings, the Supreme Court after hearing the law student Swapnil Tripathi v Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1232 of 2017 along with other writ petitions, delivered its verdict on September 26, 2018 that has clearly and convincingly held that the Court proceedings shall be live-streamed in the larger public interest.

Then Law student Swapnil Tripathi who had challenged the bar imposed on interns entering courtrooms on miscellaneous days in petition.