Indian courts score low on transparency, says JALDI index

No court in India ensures full transparency across all its functions, according to the Judicial Transparency Index by the JALDI initiative at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. The Times of India reports that the 25 high courts scored an average of 42 out of 91 points, while the Supreme Court got 53 out of 88, indicating moderate openness. Himachal Pradesh and Tripura high courts were the most transparent.

Key gaps include inconsistent live-streaming, with only half of the high courts streaming proceedings and only four covering over 75 percent of courtrooms on a given day. None of the courts disclose how cases are allocated to judges or set criteria for judicial recusal. The Delhi High Court is the only one with a process to request a recusal.

In judicial appointments, only 14 of 24 high courts publish candidate-wise marks in select lists for district judges. The index recommends introducing a public access guide for non-litigants and creating dedicated webpages for notifications. More substantive reforms, such as publishing guidelines for recusals and disciplinary sanctions, may take longer but could improve accountability.