Now, you do not need a law degree to be a Supreme Court correspondent

In a significant move towards making the Supreme Court more accessible to journalists, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has announced the relaxation of the requirement for a law degree to become an accredited correspondent covering the Supreme Court.
“What we are doing is two things — just yesterday, I signed a file for expanding the footprint of the accredited correspondents for the Supreme Court. I did not know for what reason there was a condition that you must have necessarily passed a law degree — that we have relaxed,” CJI Chandrachud was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.
The move allows journalists without a legal background to apply for accreditation.
In addition to this, the accredited journalists will now also have access to parking facilities within the Supreme Court premises, the Chief Justice said.
CJI Chandrachud, who assumed office on November 9, 2022, is set to retire on November 8 this year. His tenure has been marked by several notable reforms and milestones, making the Supreme Court a more efficient and accessible institution.
Some of the major initiatives during his tenure include:
Full strength of judges: The Supreme Court, under his leadership, has achieved its full strength of 34 judges at various points during his tenure. This includes the recent addition of three new judges.
Hybrid hearing system: The introduction of a hybrid system combining online and offline hearings has expedited the disposal of long-pending cases.
Streamlined case listings: A revamped system for case listings now ensures the daily hearing of 10 transfer petitions and 10 bail applications per bench, among other cases.
Case hearing days: Each day of the week is now reserved for hearing specific categories of cases, such as criminal matters and arbitration disputes.
Digital transformation: With a focus on reducing paper usage, CJI Chandrachud has championed e-filing for advocates. Since May, 9,913 fresh cases have been filed using the new system.
Efficient petition Processing: The Supreme Court now processes approximately 5,500 letter petitions and 10,000 email petitions each month, all managed digitally.
Transparency through NJDG: The Supreme Court has made its case data publicly accessible via the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) portal, a significant step towards transparency.
Gender equality: In a move towards a gender-just judiciary, the Supreme Court launched a Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes, aimed at removing biased language and ideas from judicial discourse. The court has also made its premises more inclusive by creating universal restrooms for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The latest move of relaxing accreditation rules for journalists reflects CJI Chandrachud’s broader mission to make the judiciary more inclusive and transparent.