Port Blair 1st circuit bench to get video-con cabins

Ten video-conferencing cabins were set up at the Calcutta High Court circuit bench at Port Blair, making it the first circuit bench in the country to be equipped with such a facility. The sound-proof cabins were virtually inaugurated by Calcutta HC Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam in the presence of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, Justice Madhuresh Prasad and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya. "It's the first of its kind in the country where a circuit bench has 10 VC cabins located in the same court complex," the CJ said during the inauguration. An official pointed out that the facility was a step towards the optimum use of technology by the judiciary to ensure justice was accessible to people in a timely manner. The cabins will not only help advocates who wish to appear before the Calcutta HC, Supreme Court and other high courts virtually, but will also be effective for litigants who wish to appear in person but cannot afford to travel to Kolkata or Delhi. "Litigants who want to appear in person may not have the facility at home. When they travel to Port Blair, they can use this facility or be present beside the advocate representing