News outlets can report courts, but cannot ‘utilise’ audio-video clips of proceedings: Supreme Court order
The Supreme Court of India clarified that while news outlets can report on judicial proceedings, they are prohibited from using raw or edited audio-video clips of hearings. This order aims to prevent the commercial exploitation and potential misuse of livestreamed court content.
Why it matters
This ruling balances the public's right to information with the judiciary's need to maintain the dignity and integrity of court proceedings.
The Supreme Court has clarified on July 31 that recognised news outlets can continue to report on court proceedings, but without “utilising” audio and video clippings of judicial hearings.
This would mean that recognised news outlets cannot post raw or edited audio and video content on social media or digital platforms, ostensibly for commercial purposes.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant passed the July 31 order to clear the “confusion” over an earlier judicial direction on July 24.
On July 24, the court had passed an interim direction prohibiting extraction, dissemination, monetisation, posting, re-posting, uploading, transmitting, modification, storing, or hosting of the audio-video recording(s) of judicial proceedings on social media or any other digital platforms without prior permission of the Secretary General of the Supreme Court or the Registrars General of the jurisdictional High Courts.
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