Justice behind closed doors

Updated On: 28 June, 2020 07:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Anju Maskeri

While the pandemic may have necessitated the setting up of virtual courtrooms, lawyers argue that India isn't quiet yet ready for a digital crossover

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A file photo dated March 17, before a national lockdown was imposed across India, shows a lawyer with a protective mask at the Supreme Court in Delhi

DIVORCE lawyer and author Vandana Shah is a fierce advocate of virtual hearings. The past five years that she has spent doing the rounds of courtrooms have only strengthened her stand. "I'll be honest, courts grapple with unhygienic conditions," she says. The washrooms are dirty, the files are laden with dust and it's far from a pleasant experience, she adds. When Shah was writing a paper for the United Nations in 2018, a delegate from the global inter-governmental organisation decided to accompany her to the court. "On seeing the place, she had one question: How does this not hamper the efficiency of people working here?" remembers the senior counsel with the National Commission for Women.

Advocate-author Vandana Shah