The Appellate Division, First Department, has instituted live video streaming of its oral arguments, bringing it in step with the New York Court of Appeals, the state's three other Appellate Division departments and many federal courts around the country.

The move to live video began Tuesday and is a permanent change to the court. The streaming can be accessed by visiting the court's website at www.nycourts.gov/courts/ad1/index.shtml. The move was considered overdue by some who had noted that the other departments and the state's high court had already decided in recent years to livestream arguments.

In addition to live video of the court's arguments, the First Department will make a digital archive of oral arguments available on its website for on­-demand viewing, generally within five business days, it said in a news release this week. Except for part of each summer, the court hears arguments Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, totaling 22 or 23 arguments a week.