Lady lawyers and New Delhi Bar Association members protest LG VK Saxena’s new police video conferencing evidence order, saying it is not in favour of clients and undermines fair trial rights.
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NEW DELHI: The legal fraternity in Delhi has expressed strong opposition to the recent notification issued by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, which designates video conferencing rooms in police stations as official places for recording evidence.
The move has sparked protests by lawyers, who argue that such a practice undermines fundamental principles of justice and fair trial.
Lady Member Executive of the New Delhi Bar Association, Advocate Anamika Parashar, voiced her disapproval, highlighting that the notification affects the rights of both advocates and their clients.
“We don’t accept this because the right of questioning over the evidence belongs to the lawyer and judge. Now the provision says that the police can record evidence through video conferencing, which is not at all in the favour of our clients because we cannot clarify multiple things,”
she said.
Advocate Parashar stressed that recording evidence in police stations through video conferencing limits the ability of defense lawyers to cross-question and scrutinize testimonies effectively. This, according to her, could tilt the balance of justice and compromise the fairness of trials.
Lawyers argue that if clients are called to court for trial, the same principle should apply when the police seek to record evidence.
“Our client is called to the court for the trial then why should it be any different for the police?”
Advocate Parashar asked.
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Women lawyers have come forward in large numbers to protest against the notification, with support even from female judges. The bar has demanded that the Lieutenant Governor immediately withdraw the order, citing its potential to weaken judicial safeguards and transparency.
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