Delhi HC Mandates Round-the-Clock Videoconferencing for Seamless Court Hearings

The Delhi High Court has intervened to improve the process of conducting videoconferencing hearings in district courts. This initiative aims to make it more convenient for litigants and the public to access these court complexes, which experience significant visitor traffic.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, courts in Delhi allowed legal case participants to join proceedings via videoconference. Since then, the Delhi High Court has issued several guidelines on conducting these virtual hearings. On June 5 of last year, the court directed all district courts to allow any party involved in a case, or their lawyer, to appear via hybrid or videoconferencing mode during proceedings without needing to make a prior request.

The Directions Issued

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan of the Delhi High Court has issued the following directives:

1) Video conferencing must remain operational during court hours.

2) Video feeds from the court’s end must be activated.

3) Unless directed otherwise by the court according to the office order dated June 5, 2023, the video feed at the court’s end should not be muted.

4) Unless directed otherwise by the court according to the office order dated June 5, 2023, joining the video conferencing should not be restricted, allowing advocates, litigants, and the public to join seamlessly.

5) Each court must ensure that the item number is clearly displayed during video conferencing proceedings.

6) A message must be displayed on the video conferencing screen when the court is not in session, on leave, or when proceedings are restricted, following the directions outlined in the Office Order dated June 5, 2023.