Supreme Court goes paperless, provides free Wi-Fi to lawyers, litigants

In a significant step towards digitisation, the Supreme Court has made the first five courtrooms on its premises WiFi-enabled. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud made the announcement to this effect on Monday (July 3) in Delhi.

The apex court has made the facility available to all lawyers, litigants, media persons, and other stakeholders visiting the premises. The step was taken as part of the e-initiatives and the facility can be availed by logging in to “SCI WiFi”.

“We have made courts 1 to 5 WiFi-enabled. The bar rooms are WiFi-enabled as well. All courtrooms will now be like that – no books and papers – which is not to say that we will not rely on books and papers at all,” CJI Chandrachud said at the outset of the day’s proceedings in the refurbished courtroom.

“Please give me the feedback whether everything is working well,” he added.

The top court reopened on Monday after the six-week summer recess.

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For using the Wi-Fi facility, one has to enter his mobile number, get a one-time password (OTP) and use it for authentication, an apex court official said.

In a circular, the court said, “As part of the e-initiatives in the Supreme Court of India, the facility of free Wi-Fi is made available for advocates, litigants, media persons and other stakeholders visiting the Supreme Court of India.”

For the present, this facility will be available at the Chief Justice’s Court, Court Nos. 2 to 5, including corridor and Plaza in front, both waiting areas in front of plaza canteen and Press Lounge-I and II, with effect from 03.07.2023.

Later, the top court, in a press statement, said that it has undertaken “futuristic upgrades” as part of green initiatives for the optimum use of technology in the justice delivery system.

“A series of futuristic upgrades have been implemented in Court No. 1 to 3 at the Supreme Court of India under the dynamic vision of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud to enhance the use of technology in Judicial Systems,” it said.

The enhancements in the courtrooms include installation of “a state-of-the-art Digital Video Conferencing (VC) system” to facilitate efficient communication and collaboration, it said. “This system enables remote participation and virtual meetings, enhancing the accessibility and connectivity of the courtrooms. Cable cubbies have been integrated into these courtrooms to fulfill the diverse connectivity needs of modern technology.”

According to the statement, these cubbies are equipped with LAN connections, HDMI outputs, USB C&A ports along with power sockets. The use of these would help in integrated use of multimedia devices while ensuring a clutter-free environment. A futuristic LED video wall has also been installed in the courtrooms, serving as a high-resolution display for camera feeds and multimedia content, it said.

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The impressive video wall enhances the visual impact of presentations, evidence, and video recordings, creating an immersive and engaging courtroom experience, it said.

“To ensure optimal audio quality and distribution in these courts, a comprehensive sound reinforcement system has been implemented. This system includes flush mount Front of House (FOH) speakers, strategically positioned under table speakers, and suitable amplifiers. These enhancements deliver clear and balanced audio throughout the courtroom, ensuring that every voice and audio source is heard with exceptional clarity,” the statement said.

A software has also been developed by the Supreme Court to help the advocates upload reference material and citations relating to the matter, it added.

A Constitution Bench hearing in September last year had witnessed the intent and commitment of the apex court to work towards paperless functioning, it said. The top court is also working on a software to provide e-pass facility to the advocates and litigants to access courtrooms, the statement said.

Earlier also, the top court had taken various steps towards digitisation of various judicial processes, including “launch of e-SCR (online free case records), advocate appearance portal, online RTI portal, implementation of e-office module in the Registry” the statement added.

(With agency inputs)