Now Reading: Madras HC lays down guidelines on video conferencing in criminal trials
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Madras HC lays down guidelines on video conferencing in criminal trials
Madras HC lays down guidelines on video conferencing in criminal trials
The Madras High Court has issued broad guidelines allowing trial courts to permit accused persons to participate in criminal proceedings through video conferencing, even in cases governed by the old CrPC. Justice…
The Story in Brief
The Madras High Court has issued broad guidelines allowing trial courts to permit accused persons to participate in criminal proceedings through video conferencing, even in cases governed by the old CrPC. Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy ruled that courts may draw guidance from the BNSS, the Madras High Court Video Conferencing Rules, 2020, and proposed 2026 Rules.
The order came in a case under the Food Safety and Standards Act, where one accused was a 71-year-old Hyderabad resident with age-related ailments and another lived in Texas, US. The court dismissed a petition to quash the prosecution but allowed virtual appearance for routine hearings, distinguishing genuine residents abroad from fugitives or economic offenders.
The Indian Opinion
Narratives that paint the judiciary as either tech-averse or rubber-stamping virtual hearings miss the nuance here. The Madras High Court has struck a practical balance: no blanket ban, no free pass. The real test will be how consistently trial courts apply the distinction between a genuine professional abroad and someone dodging the law. Watch for the first case where an accused claims hardship but the court smells evasion, that will tell us if these guidelines have teeth.
Source: livelaw.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
