Please “speak up” Your Lordship

Court Room No. 3 of the Supreme Court presided by Justice TS Thakur sets an exceptional example. In a court where most judges refuse to make use of the microphones installed, choosing to gesticulate with their hands in irritation when a microphone gets switched on accidentally, Justice Thakur stands out amongst the crowd..For anyone witnessing Supreme Court proceedings, figuring out a sound reason for the non-use of microphones is a difficult proposition. The Supreme Court is provided with a microphone for each judge and one each for the petitioner’s and the respondent’s lawyers. One of purposes of the same, quite understandably so, is to augment the convenience of the audience..Many judges don’t have a voice powerful enough to permeate the overcrowded court rooms. Some who are blessed with a baritone, slip into inaudible murmurs while pronouncing judgment or orders leaving the audience in a lurch. Just yesterday, when Justice Jasti Chelameswar, who is blessed with a deep voice, was pronouncing his dissenting judgment in the death penalty review petition case, he was barely audible. .Although many lawyers use the microphone to ensure that the judges hear them, judges seem to have a palpable aversion towards it. And the effects of this repugnance towards the microphone are many. Journalists report incorrectly, lawyers understand partially, and litigants miss it entirely..Is this loathing a natural reflection of the general abhorrence which an older generation has towards anything electronic? I doubt! Mics and speakers are no recent inventions by any means. And more than a few judges are becoming tech savvy. Justice Chelameswar, for instance, uses his tablet during the course of the proceedings..When money has been spent on installing and maintaining the mics and speakers, it is only logical that they are put to use. At a time when there is a clamour for video recording of court proceedings, it is only proper that the Court at least starts with the use of mics and not seek ways and means to inconvenience the audience!.Tailpiece: Since this brief discussion centers on technology and Supreme Court, it is only proper to mention that the revamped Supreme Court website continues to suffer from many technical glitches. Cause lists do not open in a fresh tab, they are not uploaded on time and the overall layout of the website has made it less easy on the eyes.