CJI Gavai, who is in the city, also launched free WiFi and Internet facilities in the HC (Express)THE BOMBAY High Court will begin live-streaming of court proceedings from Monday (July 7), with a formal launch done by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai in Mumbai on Saturday. Initially, five benches of the HC will live-stream their proceedings — Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne; Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Dr Neela Gokhale; Justice M S Sonak and Justice Jitendra Jain; Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad; and Justice A S Gadkari & Justice Rajesh S Patil.The rules regarding live-streaming state that no person including print, electronic media and social media platforms, shall record or disseminate the proceedings or reproduce, upload, modify, record or transcribe the proceedings in any form. It further states that the use of the recordings in their original form may be permitted by the court to disseminate news and for training, academic and educational purposes. The state government had on July 1 issued the notification about the live-streaming with detailed rules on the relaying of proceedings and recordings.Live-streaming of court proceedings was given a go-ahead after a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018, as a step towards transparency. Apart from the SC, a few other Hcs including Karnataka, Gujarat and Odisha, have live-streaming facility.CJI Gavai, who is in the city, also launched free WiFi and Internet facilities in the HC. Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised for him at the HC, CJI Gavai spoke of his experiences as a lawyer and judge in the HC, noting that he is currently the second eldest person in the Indian judiciary. He recalled deciding on PILs towards societal justice. “When we interpret the laws and the Constitution, it must be in the context with what are the problems of the present generation. The interpretation should be pragmatic, one that suits the needs of the society,” he said.The CJI also cautioned about receiving complaints about ‘rude behaviour’ of some colleagues. He said that the opportunity to serve as a judge is not a ‘10 am to 5 pm job’, but one to serve the society and the nation. “Therefore, what is required is a commitment, a dedication to the cause of justice. By behaving rudely with the lawyers or calling officers to the court now and then, hardly serves any purpose,” CJI Gavai said.He also said that while he would not want to go into the specifics, he has also received news about some judges sitting in court as ‘part-time’ judges. “If you have taken a call to answer this august office, then sitting for one hour in the first half, and one hour in the second half, belittles your oath,” he said, adding that he welcomed the inauguration of the live-streaming. He also said that nothing should be done to bring disrepute to the institution of judiciary.Gavai, who was sworn in on May 14 and has a six-month tenure till November, also said that he will try to discharge his responsibilities to the best of his abilities. “I will not give any interviews or any promises. I have seen many instances of giving long interviews in the beginning of career and making huge promises at the end of tenure. I do not want to do that. I can only say that I will stick to the oath and discharge my responsibilities to the best of my abilities,” he said. He also spoke of vacancies.Story continues below this adIn the evening, CJI Gavai also attended a felicitation programme, marking 161 years of the Advocates Association of Western India, with the launch of a coffee table book, titled Nyay Bhushan.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Bombay High CourtBR Gavai