New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India issued an interim order on Friday prohibiting the unauthorized extraction, modification, and posting of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings across social media and digital platforms. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana ruled that any dissemination or re-uploading of court footage will now require explicit prior permission from the secretary-general of the apex court or the respective registrars-general of the high courts.
The directive came during the hearing of a petition addressing the growing misuse and unauthorized circulation of live-streamed court proceedings online. Representing the petitioner, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh demonstrated how excerpts of judicial interactions are frequently edited and posted out of context on various digital forums.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta concurred with the petitioner’s concerns, emphasizing the necessity of formal regulatory measures to protect the integrity of judicial proceedings. In addition to issuing the interim restriction, the top court issued formal notices seeking responses from the Union Government and other relevant stakeholders on establishing long-term guidelines for digital court coverage.
