Delhi High Court To Hire Sign Language Interpreters On Provisional Basis

The Delhi High Court Thursday issued a circular that services of four persons may be utilised on provisional basis as sign language interpreters in the HC and district courts here till the finalisation of a panel of interpreters.

The fee for per case has been fixed to be Rs 7,500 per day, the circular said.

"It is circulated for information of all the concerned that Hon'ble the Chief Justice of this court, on the recommendations of Hon'ble the Information Technology and Accessibility Committee, has been pleased to direct that till the finalisation of a comprehensive panel of sign language interpreters, the services of the following persons may be utilised on provisional basis for sign language interpretation in this court and Delhi District Courts on payment of lump sum fee per case at the rate of Rs 7,500 per diem (day)," the circular issued by Joint Registrar (Judicial) Abhilash Malhotra said.

The four persons whose services would be used are Saurav Roychowdhury, Atul Kumar, Shivoy Sharma and Manisha Sharma.

In a step aimed at enhancing access to justice to the differently-abled, the high court in September engaged sign language interpreters for the first time to enable hearing-impaired people to understand the court proceedings.

Two such interpreters were standing at the podium near the judge and translated the proceedings through their actions to the hearing-impaired persons who were present in the court to attend a case relating to making films accessible to those suffering from visual or hearing impairments.

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