Appearing for Sarah Sunny, Advocate on Record Sanchita Ain told the bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that the interpreter should be allowed so Sarah could comprehend the court proceedings.
For Sarah Sunny, appearing in a Supreme Court proceeding is no less than a dream come true. She is India’s first lawyer to be registered as a practising deaf lawyer.
Sarah Sunny appeared before the Supreme Court on Friday and watched court proceedings live with the help of a sign language interpreter, who assisted her in understanding everything.
Appearing for Sarah Sunny, Advocate on Record (AoR) Sanchita Ain told the bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that the interpreter should be allowed so that Sarah could comprehend the proceedings. Throughout the day in the courtroom, the interpreter, by way of sign language, explained the proceedings to Sarah.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appreciated the efforts made by the interpreter and said it was a welcome step.
Speaking to India Today, AoR Sanchita Ain said, “Sarah is a talented girl and she wants to pursue her dreams. I am only supporting her in whatever way I can. I always feel that India should have this kind of infrastructure developed for deaf people.”
Sanchita further added, “The hiring of an interpreter is not an easy and cost-effective thing in India. Today, Sarah appeared in the Meghalaya high court and she was very happy that she could attend court proceedings, even though virtually.”
Soon after the hearing, Sanchita quoted Sarah as saying, “With the help of interpretation, I can learn how to argue with confidence.”
Sanchita also mentioned that two interpreters are required to interpret the court proceedings because one can explain things via signs for only an hour. Also, she said that an interpreter charges about Rs 1000 for one hour.
India Today also reached out to Sarah, who replied, “It was a dream come true experience for me. I had a great desire to appear for a case in the highest court of the judiciary of our country, which I never expected so soon and that, too, accomplished in the presence of the Honourable Chief Justice of India. This gives me more confidence and guts. I want to be a role model for others who are specially-abled.”
Sarah said that she was keen on gaining a better understanding of constitutional law, disability law, and human rights law so she could help people with special abilities in a bid to encourage more people to enter the legal field.
Article Credits: India Today