In a significant move towards transparency and accessibility, the Supreme Court of the Maldives has announced its intention to publicize audio recordings of trial hearings held between May 2008 and 2020. Building upon its existing practice of releasing audio recordings of trial hearings since February 2020, the Supreme Court has emphasized its commitment to recording and preserving oral statements associated with cases brought before the court.
The initiative to make these recordings available to the public serves two primary purposes. Firstly, it enhances the convenience of individuals seeking services from the Supreme Court, enabling them to access and listen to the hearings at their own convenience. Secondly, it promotes transparency by granting the public the opportunity to gain insights into the proceedings of the court.
Since February 2020, audio files of court hearings open to the public have been accessible on the Supreme Court's official website. Presently, efforts are underway to expand the availability of audio files to cover trials conducted in earlier years. This means that audio recordings of trials conducted in 2008, 2009, and 2010 will soon be accessible online. Furthermore, the Supreme Court is actively working towards making audio recordings of trials conducted between 2011 and May 2020 available for public access.
It is worth noting that the Supreme Court has taken further steps to enhance transparency by introducing live hearings in 2020, which are archived online for future reference.