Who is Sarah Sunny, the hearing-impaired lawyer arguing in SC in sign language?

In a historic first, a hearing-impaired lawyer presented a case before the Supreme Court of India in sign language on Friday. She participated in proceedings in real time and overcame obstacles for attorneys who were physically unable to represent their clients by using a sign language interpreter, who was of great assistance. The second deaf advocate in India, Sarah Sunny, and her interpreter, Saurabh Roy Choudhary, had to first present their own cases since the virtual courtroom moderator was reluctant to give the interpreter full access, according to NDTV. While attentively listening to them, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, “Of course, the interpreter can join the proceedings. No problem.” Sanchita Ain, an Advocate-on-Record (AoR), organised Sunny’s appearance. “The open mind(edness) of the CJI has set an example and opened doors for specially-abled persons… Though this time I was not there for the argument of the case, Advocate Sanchita wanted to open doors for me to get an experience of the Supreme Court and to prove that a specially-abled person is not behind,” Sunny told Live Law. The interpreter’s efforts were acknowledged, and it was a positive move, believes Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Also read: AI to transcribe Supreme Court hearings in India: How will this work? All about Sarah Sunny Sarah Sunny is a Bengaluru-based promising hearing-impaired advocate and an active member of the Human Rights Law Network. According to her LinkedIn profile, she began her legal journey at St. Joseph College of Law where she pursued a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). She received useful knowledge about the legal industry through a variety of internship experiences, such as positions at the Centre for Law and Policy Research and Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan in Bangalore. Sarah graduated from Jyoti Nivas College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) before beginning her legal studies. She specialised in marketing, accounting, and business law. The young lawyer has developed an interest in human rights law, constitutional law, and disability law throughout her academic and professional endeavours. Her objective is to make a difference by assisting people and aspiring legal professionals to enter the legal profession. She also advocates for the National Association of Deaf individuals. While speaking to India Today, Sunny said, “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.” In order to help persons with special needs and entice more people to pursue careers in law, Sunny told the outlet that she was interested in learning more about constitutional law, disability law, and human rights law. AoR Sanchita Ain told the news channel, “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.” The process of hiring an interpreter Further explaining the process, Sanchita said, “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.” Sanchita added that since one sign language interpreter can only explain things for an hour, two interpreters are needed to translate the court proceedings. She also mentioned the hourly rate for an interpreter, which is roughly Rs 1000. India’s first hearing-impaired advocate – Saudamini Pethe  Last year in December, Saudamini Pethe – the first hearing-impaired advocate – enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi. She advocates for the rights of the hearing impaired and helps them gain access to education, healthcare and justice. According to PTI, born in Mumbai’s Dombivli, Pethe suffered hearing loss after being infected with meningitis at the age of nine and subsequently taking strong medicines. Speaking to the news agency, she had said that she feels words like “disability” and “impairment” have negative connotations. “My aim is to use my law degree to advocate for the cause of deaf rights. To make it possible for the deaf community in India to gain access in every aspect of life, be it education, health care, or career and most importantly get access to justice," she said. Also read: From reforming caste-based face of legal system to appointing lawyers as HC judges, a look at CJI's to-do list Equal access to justice Chief Justice Chandrachud, who is also the adoptive father of two girls with disabilities, has been advocating to ensure equal access to justice. Last year, he requested a thorough accessibility audit of the Supreme Court complex to improve access to the legal system and better understand the difficulties that individuals with disabilities confront when they visit the court, according to NDTV. Everyone in the Supreme Court was delightedly surprised earlier this year when CJI Chandrachud took his two daughters for a special tour of his office. His actions in the court were described to his daughters, along with how it operated. “The significance of this moment ties in with the challenges that remain on the path to true inclusivity and accessibility within the Indian legal system,” Sanchita Ain told the New Delhi-based news channel, adding that the administration plays an active role in furthering the reach of sign language. According to Times Now, the apex court used sign language interpreters for the first time on Sunday during its two-day national stakeholders meeting on child protection. The invitation and programme details were published in Braille to make it easier for those who are blind to read. The Committee on Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare of the Supreme Court organised the yearly event. The Women and Child Development Ministry, along with representatives from additional government departments, the national and state commissions for the protection of children’s rights, and other stakeholders, have been invited to the Supreme Court’s yearly stakeholder meetings at the national level. With inputs from agencies