“We will use mic system”, CJI Ranjan Gogoi says in open court

At long last, it seems that the judges of the Supreme Court will use the pre-installed mic system while hearing cases. That is, if Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s statement in open court today is anything to go by..“There is a request to use mics. We will use mics”, Justice Gogoi said..The move will be a welcome one for lawyers appearing before the Supreme Court as well as litigants and reporters present in Court..Earlier this year, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court contending that the non-usage of the mic system not only violates fundamental rights, but also creates hindrance in the administration of justice..The petition further contends that media correspondents face difficulty in transcribing the court proceedings which may, in turn, lead to misreporting by the media. It further contends that law interns also face an issue in comprehending the court proceedings, which is detrimental to their career growth..“With the rise of digital media platforms, there is a great rush to break the news in real time by the Media Persons. This might cause misreporting leading to irreparable loss to all”, the petition states..The petitioners – Kapildeep Agarwal, Kumar Shanu, and Paras Jain – had also filed an RTI last year the response to which revealed that an amount of ₹ 91 lakh was spent for the replacement of the pre-installed mic system in the Apex Court. Last year, the petitioners had made a written representation to then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra requesting him to ensure that the mics are used..Also read: Please “speak up” Your Lordship