New Delhi, October 5: In a first of its kind, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed its Registry for appointment of a sign-language interpreter to assist a specially-abled lawyer in attending the court proceedings. “There is a request for appointment of a sign-language interpreter. The Registry will take steps for appointing an interpreter as requested by the learned counsel for the appellants,” ordered Registrar Vivek Saxena.

Advocate-on-Record Sanchita Ain moved an application before the top court seeking a sign-language interpreter for her hearing-impaired colleague who will be joining the proceedings virtually from Bengaluru. Consequently, she requested that the sign-language interpreter may also join the proceedings virtually whenever the matter is taken up for hearing. SC on Divorce: Hindu Marriage Can Be Dissolved Through Customary Divorce if Existence of Such Customary Right Is Established, Says Supreme Court.

“Registry will take action and it will be listed on October 6 before the Hon’ble Court,” said the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Earlier in September, CJI D.Y. Chandrachud had permitted the same specially-abled lawyer to attend the court proceedings in Chief Justice's court with the assistance of her own sign-language interpreter. SC on ED Probes: Functioning Should to Be Transparent and Fair, Not Vindictive, Says Supreme Court.

CJI Chandrachud had later said that such accessibility should have happened long back and it was a sobering experience for him when a lawyer with a hearing impairment attended proceedings with the assistance of a sign-language interpreter

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 05, 2023 12:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).