SUPREME COURT RESERVES VERDICT ON PLEAS FOR LIVE RECORDING OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS

In order to make judicial proceeding more transparent and accountable, the Bench of Justices Dipak Misra, A.M. Khanwilkar, and D.Y. Chandrachud reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas related to the issue of live streaming of court proceedings.

A petition filed by Swapnil Tripathi, a student of National Law University, Jodhpur, has sought directions for setting up live streaming rooms in the premises of Apex courts for educational purposes. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising also filed a petition for video-recording of proceedings of national importance.

Attorney General A.K.Venugopalan said that this process can be adopted in other courtrooms depending upon the success of the pilot project to be introduced in Court number 1 (of Chief Justice of India). However, he showed concern over the misuse of information provided through the live streaming and said that  the use of footage would be restricted for the purpose of news, current affairs and educational purpose only. He also warned public that the webcast of the Supreme Court proceeding would invite penalties if it is reproduced, transmitted, uploaded without the prior written authorization of the Supreme Court of India.

Centre has also suggested that this can be launched as a pilot project on the issues of constitutional purposes and not anything that could arouse passion and be a threat to the national security.