Avoid Mobile Phones To Attend VC, Use Desktop/Laptop : Supreme Court Notifies 'Best Practices' For Virtual Hearings

After Chief Justice of India on Monday expressed unhappiness regarding lawyers attending virtual hearing through their mobile phones, the Supreme Court of India has notified 'best practices for virtual court proceedings, asking all advocates to avoid joining hearings through their mobile phones.

All Advocates and party in persons have been requested to join the Cisco Webex application for joining the court hearings through Desktops or Laptops with a stable internet connectivity, preferably wired, to avoid any disruption in the court proceedings and inconvenience to the Judges.

The Advocates and party in person have further been asked to join through a single device, preferably using a headset enabled microphone and audio system.

They have also been asked to close all background applications running on their devices for best VC experience

A Bench comprising CJI NV Ramana, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hima Kohli had on Monday made some remarks regarding use of mobile phones after the counsels appearing in multiple cases weren't audible and visible to the Bench. 

"These counsels appear through their mobile phones and they're not visible. I think we have to ban this mobile business", CJI NV Ramana remarked

"What is the problem? You are now practising in Supreme Court, everyday you appear. You can't afford to have a desktop at least?", CJI had asked a lawyer.

Before rising from the bench, CJI told the Court Staff, "You please ask counsels to use desktops or laptops, and not mobile phones. We are facing a lot of problems. Don't disconnect but tell them there's a problem in hearing through mobile phones".

In the wake of rising number of cases of omicron variant of Covid 19, the Supreme Court has reverted to virtual mode of hearing. The Court decided to conduct all hearings through virtual mode for two weeks with effect from 3rd January 2021

The Court further decided to hear all the matters in virtual mode with effect from 7th January with the Benches sitting at the Residential Offices, and take up only urgent matters from 10th January.

Click here to read/download the circular