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A42 EXCISE LAW TIMES [ Vol. 372

Logistical difficulties
The second reason this judgment spells bad news is that unlike the RTI
Act, the procedure under the Rules of most High Courts is challenging from a
logistical perspective, apart from lacking in any significant safe guards. An ap-
plication under the RTI Act can be made by post, with the fed being deposited
through a postal order. The procedure is simple enough to enable most citizens
file RTI applications by themselves. Not so for the procedure under the High
Court Rules. Most High Courts and the Supreme Court require physical filing of
an application with the Registry and a hearing before a judge to deter mine
whether records should be given. In an atmosphere where it is be coming in-
creasingly difficult for ordinary litigants to even enter Court premises because of
thoughtless measures in the name of security, it becomes a logistical nightmare
for citizens to file an application with the Registry.
The Supreme Court fails to understand that the judiciary’s track record
of transparency’ is vastly inferior when compared to other arms of the state. In
today’s world where every public institution is striving to become more trans-
parent, the continued resistance from the judiciary to making itself transparent in
a meaningful manner will have an eroding effect on its legitimacy.
[Source : Prashant Reddy T., in The Hindu, New Delhi, dated 12-3-2020]

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EXCISE LAW TIMES  1st April 2020  116