How Supreme Court Judges are using Video Conferencing for court hearings

It had become nearly impossible for the Supreme Court to conduct hearing as the spread of Covid-19 continues. With the 21-day lockdown, it is not favorable for judges, lawyers, and other parties to step out of their houses and travel to the court. But thanks to the ever-evolving technology, they can now do the same while maintaining social distancing, which is the need of the hour. Supreme Court is carrying out its processes by using video conferencing tools.

The judges of the Apex Court assemble at the chambers or residence of one of the Judges who is sitting on the Bench. The lawyers join them one by one with the help of the best video conferencing software from their homes.

“It was a very enriching experience and I think this is going to be the order of the day for the future as well. It was surprising that there was absolutely no glitch or any break. The 45 minutes long hearing went on perfectly smoothly.” – Senior Counsel KV Vishwanathan

Video Conferencing Software Use by Courts

The video conferencing that they used is called Vidyo. All the stakeholders are connected via the same Vidyo link which is provided by the Court. Vishwanathan feels that the video conference methodology is much more relaxing than being physically present in the courtroom. He gives a tip to all the lawyers who are a part of this process remotely and virtually, that they should remain patient and calm, and should let the other person complete his point before starting to speak.

Vidyo is one of the best video conferencing software that helps remote collaboration. It delivers higher-quality experiences at a lower cost than too over-converged IP networks.

However, the supreme court has also considered other backup options in case Vidyo faces any linkage issues. Video & Call platforms like WhatsApp, Skype, and Facetime, are also tested for backup.

This is the very first time that hearings in the Supreme Court are conducted with the help of video conferencing. Because of the current lockdown, the Supreme Court will be conducting hearings of extremely urgent matters via Vidyo only.

To curb the spread of Covid19, this measure is taken as an initiative. This tool is a lifesaver, especially for those who are currently working from home. This software is extremely helpful if someone wants to conduct a meeting, or seminar or just wants to make the other person understand things related to work face-to-face. Who knows? Maybe video conferencing is the future of all fields of work after all.