Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday, October 6, expressed his disapproval at Bombay High Court (HC) judges for doing away with virtual or hybrid hearings.
"Now in Bombay (High Court), you have disbanded the infrastructure and the infrastructure has been disbanded. This is my parent High Court and I am distressed to say that hybrid is done away with ... How many screens have been removed?," the CJI remarked.
"The question is not whether a judge is tech-friendly or not. If you have to be a judge you have to be tech-friendly. If you want to be a judge in this country, you must know technology and every judge needs to be trained. Even Supreme Court judges have been trained in training centres. Justice (Ravindra) Bhat has handled those teams," he said, as reported by Bar and Bench.
Justice Chandrachud also cited complaints received from high court lawyers that technology was not being used in hearings.
He asked why, apart from Justice Guatam Patel, no one else is using the virtual mode.
Meanwhile, the CJI also expressed his satisfaction over the significant increase in the number of women judicial officers and said it was a country-wide trend.
At the outset of the proceedings, the CJI said, "We wish to share some happy news. Here in the back row (in the courtroom), we have 75 judges from the civil judge junior division from Maharashtra. Out of a batch of 75 judges, 42 are women and 33 men."
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
