In an innovative & refreshing initiative, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday launched a new section ‘Humour in Court’ on its website, which will have a collection of lighthearted, witty & memorable moments from courtrooms over the years.
Besides this, Acting Chief Justice Manmohan also launched two other IT initiatives – Delhi High Court WhatsApp Services & the Delhi High Court e-Museum.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher, the chairman of IT (information technology), AI (artificial intelligence) & Accessibility Committee, said lawyers & judges need to lighten up, & sometimes to lower the temperature in court, judges may make a remark & lawyers don’t need to be sensitive about it & vice versa.
“This project is very close to my heart. Often, history of times is revealed & recorded through these anecdotes. The judges who sat & the great lawyers who argued the matter are often recorded by way of these anecdotes….
“Now we have a place available where the anecdotes that we hear & exchange can be recorded on this space but you will have to adhere to certain standard operating procedures (SOP),” Justice Rajiv Shakdher said, adding that it should not name the person & should not cross the boundaries of decency & not be offending.
“We need not be very sensitive & need to learn to laugh at ourselves,” he said, adding that he was contemplating naming it ‘funny bone committee’.
The ‘Humour in Court’ initiative will be available through a dedicated section on the Delhi High Court’s official website & users can explore classic exchanges between legal personalities & enjoy a lighter perspective on the judiciary, a statement issued by the court said.
Any advocate or litigant can also send their humorous & memorable experience in the courtrooms to the email ID: delhihighcourt@nic.in which would be published online after screening by a sub-committee of three judges.
In a groundbreaking initiative to preserve & showcase rich legal heritage, the high court also launched its e-Museum, a digital archive of historically significant case records.
This online platform will provide unprecedented access to landmark judgments, legal documents, & court proceedings that have shaped the judiciary & society over the decades.
Some of the most important cases that have passed through the Delhi High Court, dating back to its inception, & have been made available in e-Museum include Mahatma Gandhi Assassination, Indira Gandhi Assassination, Parliament Attack, Red Fort Attack, Jessica Lal murder, Uphaar cinema fire, BMW hit & run, Nitish Katara murder & decriminalisation of homosexuality.
In a remarkable step towards enhancing accessibility & convenience, the WhatsApp services of the high court will provide information about cause lists, case filings & case listings directly to the advocates & litigants via WhatsApp messages.
This innovative move is a part of the court’s ongoing efforts to leverage technology to streamline communication & improve efficiency in judicial processes, the statement said, adding that the WhatsApp services will enable recipients to access case status & other information right on their smartphone with ease.
To use this service , the user is required to save the official WhatsApp number of Delhi High Court 9112114450 & then open WhatsApp chat box & send ‘Hi’ message to initiate conversation.