New Rules for Supreme Court Correspondents

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

You no longer need a law degree to become a Supreme Court correspondent. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has relaxed the requirements for journalists seeking accreditation. Journalists without a legal background can now apply for accreditation.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

In a significant reform, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has announced that a law degree is no longer necessary to become an accredited correspondent for the Supreme Court. This move aims to enhance accessibility for journalists covering the Supreme Court. “What we are doing is two things — just yesterday, I signed a file for expanding the footprint of the accredited correspondents for the Supreme Court. I did not know for what reason there was a condition that you must have necessarily passed a law degree — that we have relaxed,” said CJI Chandrachud.

Under this new initiative, accredited journalists will also gain access to parking facilities within the Supreme Court premises. CJI Chandrachud, who took office on November 9, 2022, has introduced several notable reforms to make the Supreme Court a more efficient and accessible institution.

Key initiatives during his tenure include:

• Full Strength of Judges: Under his leadership, the Supreme Court has achieved its full strength of 34 judges at various points. This includes the recent addition of three new judges.
• Hybrid Hearing System: The introduction of a hybrid system, combining online and offline hearings, has expedited the disposal of long-pending cases.
• Streamlined Case Listings: A revamped system for case listings ensures the daily hearing of 10 transfer petitions and 10 bail applications per bench.
• Case Hearing Days: Each day of the week is now reserved for hearing specific categories of cases, such as criminal matters and arbitration disputes.
• Digital Transformation: Focusing on reducing paper usage, CJI Chandrachud has championed e-filing for advocates. Since May, 9,913 fresh cases have been filed using the new system.
• Efficient Petition Processing: The Supreme Court now processes approximately 5,500 letter petitions and 10,000 email petitions monthly, all managed digitally.
• Transparency through NJDG: The Supreme Court has made its case data publicly accessible via the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) portal.
• Gender Equality: In a move towards a gender-just judiciary, the Supreme Court launched a Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes.

The latest change in relaxing accreditation rules for journalists reflects CJI Chandrachud’s broader mission to make the judiciary more inclusive and transparent.

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