Direct authorities to install fiber line for internet in Delhi courts for effective virtual hearing: Plea in HC

By Sushil Batra
New Delhi [India], October 7 : A petition seeking directions to the concerned authorities for installation of fiber line for internet in all the cell operators in each and every court complex situated in the national capital has been moved in the Delhi High Court.
The plea sought directions to the respondents to take necessary steps on an urgent basis to install the fiber cables in all court complexes inclusive of chamber premises situated in Delhi courts.
A single-judge bench of Justice Navin Chawla after going through the petition referred the matter before the appropriate division bench for October 12.
The plea, filed by Satyanarain Sharma who is a practicing advocate and is former Secretary of Rohini Court Bar Association (RCBA), said that due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic along with the nationwide lockdown the judicial administration dealt in its own way by deferring regular hearing of all cases and confining hearing only for urgent cases by video conferencing.
Nowadays the judicial system started hearing the cases through video conferencing (VC) in all courts of the country to administer the justice delivery system, the plea said.
It sought the indulgence of the court regarding the problem faced by judges, lawyers and litigants due to poor/lack of internet connectivity. The majority of lawyers are facing the problem of poor/non- availability of internet in the chamber blocks situated in court complexes, which has resulted in grave hardship to the practicing advocates, the plea said.
The petitioner said the present situation may continue for a long time and the normal functioning of the court will take time and submitted that when the court will start to function as usual, then also use of the internet will be required to solve the day to day needs of advocates who work from their chambers.
According to the plea, the digital divide has three dimensions namely, access divide (access to equipment and infrastructure), connectivity divide (access to broadband connectivity), and skill divide (knowledge and skills required to use digital platforms).
The plea said that in most countries the speed of the internet is being used as 5G speed and presently in India, only 4G speed is being provided by the cell operators.
"It is also worth mentioning here that the Union of India had taken steps towards the creation of digital India and the cell operator companies are not providing the adequate signals/internet facility everywhere to its customers inclusive of petitioners and other lawyers, who used to work from court complexes," the plea said.