{"id":4007,"date":"2026-09-05T04:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T04:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4007"},"modified":"2026-09-07T04:23:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T04:23:02","slug":"judicial-transparency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/judicial-transparency\/","title":{"rendered":"Judicial Transparency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>General Studies \u2013 : II\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>IN NEWS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Courtroom dramas, clipped and shared<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLive-streaming of judicial proceedings represents a shift from a closed courtroom model towards participatory constitutionalism.\u201d Examine<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ANSWER: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The transition to live-streaming judicial proceedings marks a structural evolution in India\u2019s legal landscape. Historically, the &#8220;open court&#8221; principle was constrained by physical seating, geographic centralization, and technical legal jargon. By bringing constitutional interpretation into the public domain, live-streaming transforms passive subjects into active civic observers, laying the foundation for <\/span><b>participatory constitutionalism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b> Contextual Basis: From Closed Courtrooms to Open Justice<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial Endorsement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swapnil Tripathi v. Supreme Court of India (2018)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the apex court held that live-streaming is an extension of the &#8220;open court&#8221; principle and falls under the Right to Access Justice (<\/span><b>Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) and the Right to Know (<\/span><b>Article 19(1)(a)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Institutional Adoption:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Beginning with High Courts like Gujarat and Karnataka, the Supreme Court institutionalized live-streaming for Constitution Bench matters in 2022, broadcasting crucial discussions on federalism, reservations, and electoral integrity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> How Live-Streaming Drives Participatory Constitutionalism<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Democratization of Legal Knowledge:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Live-streaming strips away institutional opacity, allowing citizens, law students, and researchers direct access to judicial deliberations without relying on secondary media interpretations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fostering Civic Consciousness:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Watching constitutional benches deliberate issues like fundamental rights and executive accountability transforms abstract constitutional principles into visible, everyday realities for the electorate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthening Institutional Accountability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Direct public scrutiny encourages greater preparation and decorum among advocates while keeping judicial remarks grounded in constitutional norms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Realizing &#8220;Open Court&#8221; in a Digital Age:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Physical courtrooms in New Delhi or state capitals present financial and geographical barriers. Digital access decentralizes the courtroom, realizing the true spirit of Article 21 across diverse geographies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> Structural Risks and Challenges<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sensationalism and Out-of-Context Clips:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Short, uncontextualized video clips tailored for social media algorithms risk turning serious oral observations into clickbait, undermining judicial dignity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Risk of Judicial Populism:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Public visibility creates a subtle danger where arguments or judicial observations might lean toward public approval rather than strictly adherence to cold legal technicalities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Privacy and Protection Concerns:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Broadcasting sensitive cases\u2014such as matrimonial disputes, sexual offenses, or national security matters\u2014threatens witness safety and individual privacy rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Digital Divide:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Without multi-lingual translation and accessible digital infrastructure in rural areas, participation risks remaining restricted to urban, English-speaking populations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><b> Strategic Safeguards &amp; Way Forward<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strict Adherence to Model Rules:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Courts must rigorously implement the Supreme Court\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Model Rules for Live Streaming<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, incorporating deferred broadcasts (e.g., a 10-minute buffer) to redact sensitive disclosures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Clear Exclusion Framework:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Matters involving family law, sexual violence, juvenile justice, and national security must remain exempt from live broadcasts to preserve confidentiality.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Copyright &amp; Misuse Regulation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Establishing strict legal penalties for unauthorized editing, commercialization, or malicious manipulation of official court video feeds.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inclusivity Measures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Integrating real-time closed captioning and regional language translations to ensure genuine participatory access for all citizens.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Live-streaming courtroom proceedings bridges the historic gap between citizens and the constitution. When backed by robust privacy safeguards and responsible broadcasting norms, it transforms the judiciary from an elite institution into a transparent, participatory pillar of Indian democracy.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>PYQ REFERENCE UPSC 2022<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. &#8220;The deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the delivery of public services is an essential component of good governance. Evaluate the role of e-Courts in speeding up justice delivery in India.&#8221; (15 Marks, 250 words)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>SOURCE: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/202746\/OPS\/G56GF3NOF.1+GARGG6LKP.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu e-paper &#8211; Courtroom dramas, clipped and shared<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; SYLLABUS: Indian Polity General Studies \u2013 : II\u00a0 IN NEWS: Courtroom dramas, clipped and shared QUESTION: \u201cLive-streaming of judicial 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