Even after having issued directions by the Supreme court and the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir for installation of surveillance mechanism through CCTV devices in the courts , majority of courts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh continue to be bereft of this important and sensitive installation. Plans to this effect were formulated several years back but the same are continuing to get tossed in the official cobwebs of recklessness and lethargy . Like this, not only are the norms of safety and security measures compromised thus jeopardising safety of the judicial officers and the staff, advocates and the litigants but of the other infrastructure in the courts.
We would like to draw the attention of the UT administration towards the need to have the installation of the CCTVs in all courts in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir strictly in accordance with the norms prescribed by the Supreme Court of India as also the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Needless to add, the monitoring of such CCTVs must be done through the chamber of the concerned District and Session Judge strictly as per the direction of the Apex Court . “Safety First” norm needs to be made a working culture.