Deepali Kalia
Karnataka High Court became the second High Court in India after Gujarat High Court to experiment with live streaming its court proceedings.
The proceedings in Court Hall-1 before a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj were live-streamed on High Court’s YouTube channel as an experiment.
The division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka remarked that “Today, we have live proceedings of two petitions….It is being done on an experimental basis. It is our duty to put members of the Bar to notice.”
The final hearing proceedings of 2 PIL petitions filed by Baithkol Bandaru Nirashrithara Yantrik Rut Dhoni Meenu Barara Sahakara Sangha Niyamitha, and the Uttara Kannada District Fishermen Association were being live-streamed.
The main issues raised in the petition included impact on the environment and alleged violation of environmental laws in approving second stage development of Commercial Karwar Port at Baithkol village, Karwar Taluka, Uttara Kannada District on a plot area of 17 Hectares in addition to the existing area of 3 Hectares.