The Supreme Court on Friday passed an interim order prohibiting social media and digital media platforms from editing, disseminating, reposting, uploading or monetising audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings without prior permission from the concerned court or the Registrar General of the jurisdictional High Court.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohan issued the direction after expressing concern over the selective circulation of clips from live-streamed court proceedings. The court observed that such content was being used in a manner that maligned the judiciary and distorted court proceedings.
The interim order was passed while hearing a petition filed by a journalist seeking a regulatory framework for the use of audio and video recordings of court proceedings on digital platforms.
The Bench directed the Union government to place before the court a proposal identifying the nodal ministries that could implement the reliefs sought in the petition. It also directed the High Courts to submit reports on the adoption of the Supreme Court's Model Rules for Live-Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings and explain the impact of continuous livestreaming of proceedings.
During the hearing, senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, said he had no objection to the livestreaming of court proceedings but raised concerns over the misuse of edited clips circulating on social media.
"I personally don't see any problem with livestream," Singh submitted, while pointing to instances where selective clips of hearings had gone viral. Singh said that a clip from the recent ruckus created before the bench of Justice Viswanathan has become hugely viral, making the judiciary a joke before the lay people.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported the concern, telling the court that there has to be some regulation.