Last week was like any other at the Supreme Court of India. Except, on Friday, the hustle and bustle of the court activity was put on hold to witness a historic occasion.

Advocate Sara Sunny made history by participating in the court’s virtual proceedings with the assistance of Indian sign language interpreter, Saurav Roychowdhury.

Sarah Sunny’s attorney, Sanchita Ain, requested an interpreter to help her understand the trial proceedings. According to Live Law, Chief Justice Chandrachud allowed the interpreter Mr Roychowdhury to appear on screen in a virtual courtroom. The interpreter’s speed impressed attendees, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who praised his impressive sign language interpretation.

The Supreme Court used Braille invitations and sign language interpreters for the first time at its two-day national stakeholders consultation on child protection later on Sunday.

Kudos CJI:

CJI Chandrachud has called for an accessibility audit of the Supreme Court and advocates for a more inclusive environment for lawyers with disabilities, aiming to make the system more accessible.

The foundation:

The UN General Assembly has declared September 23 to be the International Day of Sign Languages to recognize the value of sign language and the human rights of those who are deaf. “We Sign For Human Rights” will be the theme of the 2021 International Day of Sign Languages, according to the World Federation of the Deaf.

WriteCanvas says:

CJI Chandrachud deserves an ovation. Not only is he front-ending the changes to make inclusivity and DEI a reality in the Supreme Court, but also is setting benchmarks for all the organizations: public and private to follow!