LI Network
Published on: 17 August 2023 at 15:45 IST
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud emphasized the vital role played by State governments in supporting the digital infrastructure of courts with financial backing. However, he highlighted instances where such funding was lacking.
CJI Chandrachud recounted a specific incident during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which a High Court faced significant challenges in securing the necessary funds to obtain licenses for essential video conferencing software.
Revealing a notable response, the CJI disclosed that the Supreme Court had to step in and allocate some of its own software licenses to the struggling High Court at a remarkably low cost.
“In certain circumstances, state governments do not allocate the required funds. Without divulging the name of the High Court, it’s important to note that during the pandemic, a High Court was in a situation where it lacked the financial means to acquire licenses for essential video conferencing software. To alleviate the situation, we reallocated some licenses from the Supreme Court, and the cost was incredibly affordable,” CJI Chandrachud explained.
In a related context, Justice Abhay S Oka, who previously served as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court during the pandemic, revealed a concerning practice. In December 2022, Justice Oka pointed out that judges and registry staff resorted to using their personal credit cards to subscribe to the Zoom platform for virtual court hearings when facing the same licensing difficulties.
Furthermore, Justice Oka shared that the reimbursement process for these expenses took more than four months to be completed.
This occurrence underscores the paramount importance of sufficient funding by State governments to uphold the digital infrastructure of courts, especially during times of crisis. The incident also serves as a reminder of the adaptability and resourcefulness demonstrated by the judiciary to ensure the continuity of legal proceedings amidst challenging circumstances.