Breaking : SC To Pronounce Verdict On Live Streaming Of Court Proceedings Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the three judges' bench of Supreme Court will pronounce verdict on the petition seeking live streaming of court proceedings.

On July 9, the idea of live streaming of court proceedings in all matters, excep in rape cases and matrimonial disputes, had found favour with the bench as well as Attorney General K. K. Venugopal.

While considering the petition filed by Indira Jaising, Senior Advocate, the Court orally observed  that live streaming of court proceedings will help litigant instantaneously know what happened to his case and how his lawyer performed his case before the Court.

The Attorney General K. K. Venugopal has suggested that the live telecast of the apex court proceedings be done in only constitutional matters on an experimental basis.

“The government is taking this very seriously. My recommendation is that (the live streaming of hearings) may be initially restricted to only cases involving constitutional issues, which the Chief Justice decides, and no other matters,  to see the reactions and the responses. Then a decision may be taken one way or the other”, the AG submitted. He suggested that the impact of live streaming on lawyers, judges, and the public could be assessed within two-three months.

Senior Counsel and Petitioner-in-person Indira Jaising, while advocating live-streaming, highlighted the need to include safeguards to prohibit unauthorised reproduction of broadcasts- “The proceedings will be aired live and hence, it may be open for people to make clippings and create their own copies. Your Lordships must prohibit such production of clips, no matter how big or small, without the authorisation of the court”

She also urged that there may not be any commercial exploitation of the exercise of broadcasting.