SHILLONG, Feb 23: The Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya, IP Mukerji, has emphasised the Judiciary’s critical role in adapting to the transformation of crimes from traditional physical offences to sophisticated virtual threat.
Chief Justice Mukerji was speaking at a one-day programme on ‘Judicial Response in a Digital Age’, organised by the Meghalaya State Judicial Academy of the High Court of Meghalaya on Saturday.
The programme brought together judges of the High Court, judicial officers, legal professionals and law students.
In his inaugural address, Justice Mukerji, who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the Meghalaya State Judicial Academy, cited few examples of incidents that occur in our daily lives which underscore the evolution of crimes.
He highlighted the advancement in technology in the last 20 to 25 years where digitisation has rapidly grown has captured the perception, activity and the thoughtful process of the whole world.
Addressing the gathering, Justice HS Thangkhiew, Judge of the High Court of Meghalaya and Judge-In-Charge, Meghalaya State Judicial Academy, Shillong, said that the rapid proliferation of cyberspace has brought new dimensions to crime, law and security, necessitating an informed and proactive judicial approach citing important Supreme Court judgements in this regard.
“Cybercrimes crosses all borders and this often involves complex jurisdictional issues, hence the court must be well versed in the regulatory framework governing cyberspace and must be able to handle and appreciate digital evidence while ensuring its authenticity and admissibility,” he said
The resource person for the programme, Rajarshi Rai Choudhury, Advocate, in the two technical sessions, discussed the rapid transformation of crime, evidence and legal proceeding due to advancement of digital technology. Key topics included cybercrime, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cyberlaw and appreciation and handling of digital evidence by the courts.
