The Bombay High Court has directed the registrar of Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) to respond to a plea seeking video conferencing facilities for litigants and lawyers. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Arif Doctor heard the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Mathews Nedumpara, which sought video conferencing facilities in all courts and tribunals across the state.
The court noted that the High Court already had a facility for hybrid hearings and initiatives were being taken for district courts. Therefore, the bench directed the petitioner to limit the plea to facilities in DRTs. The court issued a notice to the DRT registrar, with a deadline of August 23, to provide details of the steps taken to facilitate video conference hearings.
During the hearing, the court emphasized that efforts were already being made on the administrative side and there was no need for additional efforts on the judicial side. The bench highlighted that district courts were already taking initiatives, as indicated by certain judicial orders that were passed.
The PIL specifically pointed out that only the court of Justice GS Patel conducted online hearings in the Bombay High Court. It highlighted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, all proceedings in courts and tribunals in Maharashtra and Goa were successfully conducted online, which was a convenient and cost-effective mode. The petitioner raised concerns about discontinuing this mode and questioned the reasons behind it.
The Bombay High Court's decision to seek a response from the DRT registrar aims to address the need for video conferencing facilities in debt recovery proceedings. This move aligns with the efforts to enhance access to justice and provide convenience to litigants and lawyers during court proceedings.
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