On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected a petition that sought the implementation of virtual hearing or video conference facilities in every district court nationwide.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra remarked that the vast and complex nature of the country makes it impractical to mandate such measures through judicial orders. The Court noted that these concerns are being addressed as part of the ongoing e-Courts project.

"Do you know how many district courts are there in the country? ... We cannot lay down one-size-fits-all solutions. The country is too large and complex to lay down such directions. These issues are being looked at in phase 3 of e-courts and an ongoing project of technological revolution. But there cannot be judicial directions," the Court observed.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that virtual hearing facilities would significantly assist in presenting evidence and witnesses. However, the Court emphasized that not all such demands can be addressed through public interest litigation. It further stated that High Courts should be entrusted with decisions on how to allocate funds for technical developments, considering the specific challenges faced by each State.