NEW DELHI: For the first time, a hearing-impaired lawyer argued her case before the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, paving the way for more physically-challenged lawyers to defend their cases.
Sarah Sunny on Friday argued her case with the help of an Indian sign language interpreter. Senior advocate Sanchita Ain made a plea to Chief Justice Chandrachud to let Sarah argue her case with an interpreter. He immediately gave his assent.
This historic moment would not have taken place as the control room responsible for managing virtual hearings hesitated to accommodate Sarah and her interpreter.
With the CJI’s approval, the control room accommodated Sarah, who is based in Bangalore, and her interpreter, Saurav Roychowdhury, too appearing virtually.
As Sarah’s turn came, her interpreter stepped forward and acted as a bridge between her and the world. In the process, he received praise from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who said the speed at which the interpreter is interpreting in sign language is amazing.
Sarah’s determination has broken down more barriers. The CJI, when he took his oath of office in November last year, had said, “My work, not words, will speak.”
In line with his commitment, he established the “SC Committee on Accessibility,” chaired by Justice S R Bhat.
This committee’s mission is to conduct comprehensive accessibility audits of Supreme Court premises and its operations. It involves reaching out to persons with disabilities who visit the Supreme Court, soliciting their feedback, and assessing the nature and extent of the challenges they face.
The ultimate goal of this initiative is to ensure that justice is accessible to all and to gain a deep understanding of the hardships faced by differently-abled individuals in their interactions with the Supreme Court of India.