The Karnataka High Court has showered praise on Advocate Sarah Sunny, who became the first hearing and speech-impaired lawyer in the Indian history to make arguments in a case with the help of a sign language interpreter in a High Court.
Noting that such efforts must be appreciated, the single-judge Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna said on Monday that Counsel (for respondent-wife), Advocate Sarah Sunny, has made elaborate submissions, defeating the disability of being hearing and speech impaired through the sign language interpreter.
The submissions made by Sarah Sunny need to be appreciated and the appreciation was being placed on record, though the submissions were made through a sign language interpreter.
The Court had earlier asked its Registry and the Central government to arrange for a sign language interpreter to assist Advocate Sunny in her submissions.
On April 8, it lauded the Central government and the Registry for making such arrangements. The single-judge Bench further ordered that the interpreter be paid the necessary fees for her current appearance and in future hearings in this case.
The lawyer made brief submissions while representing the estranged wife of a man, who challenged a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued following the registration of a criminal case on allegations of cruelty and dowry harassment.
While Advocate Sunny made her arguments in sign language, the interpreter translated and conveyed the same to the high Court.
Asking her to get acquainted to the things, the single-judge Bench said that it would receive Advocate Sunny’s submissions ‘elaborately’ during the next hearing on April 19.
Applauding the decision, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aravind Kamat pointed out that the hearing marked a historic event for the High Court.
He said by allowing Advocate Sunny to make submissions, the High Court has made history. Karnataka will be known in history as the first High Court which heard a hearing and speech-impaired Advocate through a sign language interpreter.
Though she appeared before the Chief Justice of India earlier, but in terms of a High Court, this will be the first, he added.