Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Concerned over incidents of firing at court premises which pose a significant risk to the safety of judges, court staff and litigants, the Supreme Court has given a slew of directions for safety and security measures in courts.
It has directed high courts to roll out a security plan for court buildings and submit an action taken report in two months on the installation of CCTVs and digitisation measures to help reduce overcrowding in court complexes. The order came on a contempt petition which alleged the failure of states to comply with previous orders passed by the top court from time to time to install CCTV cameras in district courts.
Firing incidents
As many as three incidents of firing were reported from Capital’s district courts within the previous years. Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta said stating that “safety and security of stakeholders in the judicial process is non-negotiable.”
“It is appalling that court premises in the national capital itself, in the past year or so, have witnessed at least three major incidents of gunfire. Such incidents, that too in court premises, are deeply concerning and pose significant risks to the safety of not only judges but lawyers, court staff, litigants and the general public,” the Bench said while keeping the matter for the next hearing on October 12.
Expressing grave concern over instances of firing in court premises in Delhi, the SC said, “Would not hope for the litigants who visit the temples of justice dwindle, if the very halls of justice lack the shield of security.”
Safety of judges
On the issue of the safety of judges outside courts, it said, “Lives of judges, off the court, of late are also not entirely safe and secure.” The SC further noted that there were immediate measures that must be carried out to address the issue. As a first step, the apex court directed the high courts to indicate what steps have been put in place to install CCTV cameras, where they are absent, for security within court premises and introduce an audio-visual facility to record evidence and testimonies during the trial.
