Supreme Court Clarifies Media Reporting Rules on Judicial Proceedings

Clarification on Court's Interim Order

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has made it clear that its recent interim directive limiting the sharing and uploading of audio and video recordings from court hearings does not hinder news organizations from covering judicial activities.

This clarification was issued following the court's observation that there was still some misunderstanding regarding its interim order from July 24, which prohibited the posting of audio and video recordings of court proceedings on social media and other digital platforms without prior consent from the court administration.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized that the restrictions apply solely to the use of audio and video recordings in news reports and should not be seen as an outright ban on media coverage.

"It seems that some confusion remains regarding paragraph 11 of the previous order, which we find necessary to clarify. This paragraph explicitly states that the order does not impose a blanket prohibition on the reporting of court proceedings by recognized news outlets," the court stated.

Consequently, these outlets are permitted to report on court activities and keep the public informed about legal developments and judicial decisions, provided they do not use audio or video clips from the proceedings in their reports.

"In summary, while news organizations can continue to report on court proceedings, they must adhere to the restrictions outlined in paragraph 10," the bench reiterated in its order issued on July 31.

However, news organizations are required to comply with the limitations specified in paragraph 10 of the July 24 order.

"As a temporary measure, it is mandated that there shall be no extraction, alteration, distribution, monetization, posting, reposting, or uploading of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or other digital platforms without prior approval from the secretary general of this court or the registrar general of the relevant high courts," the bench had stated.

The Supreme Court has also sent notices to the government and other parties, including certain social media platforms, requesting their responses to a petition filed by journalist Harshita Grover.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioner, highlighted the significance of the issues raised in the petition.