Supreme Court asks Centre to penalise misuse of live-streamed hearings

The Supreme Court directed the Centre to add enforcement measures to its proposed live-streaming policy. The move targets unauthorised, manipulated and commercial use of courtroom recordings.Image used for representational purposes onlyNewdelhi,Oct 30, 2026 15:04 ISTThe Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to include measures to act against violations of its interim restrictions on the unauthorised extraction, circulation and commercial use of live-streamed court proceedings in its proposed policy framework, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The court is examining petitions seeking to prevent video clips of judicial proceedings from being extracted, altered, circulated or used commercially without permission, often with misleading captions or representations.A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's submission that suggestions from various high courts and other stakeholders had been sent to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for preparing comprehensive guidelines.According to PTI, Mehta said the ministry would consider the suggestions and respond within a few days. He sought further consideration of the petitions after the Diwali vacation. The solicitor general also flagged violations of the court's earlier orders and urged the bench to consider directing the removal of material uploaded in breach of its restrictions.Taking note of the submission, the bench said, "Necessary measures for taking action against those who fail to comply with the directions will also be incorporated in the policy regime." In its order, the bench referred to its earlier interim directions, including the order dated October 9, 2026, and stressed the need to ensure compliance and effective implementation.Advocate Prashant Bhushan suggested that every official clip released by the court should carry a verifiable digital signature or watermark. This would allow the public and digital platforms to distinguish genuine footage from manipulated versions.Bhushan also suggested that all court proceedings should be made available on the Supreme Court's website in an authenticated and watermarked format.On July 24, the bench prohibited the extraction, circulation, monetisation, posting, reposting, uploading, transmission, modification, storage or hosting of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or other digital platforms without prior permission from the Supreme Court secretary general or the registrar generals of the high courts concerned.The restrictions were clarified on September 18, when the court said they did not impose a blanket ban on recognised news organisations reporting court proceedings. News outlets could continue reporting on judicial proceedings and legal developments, but could not use audio or video clips of hearings in their reports.On October 9, the bench reiterated that there was no question of gagging reporting or restricting the live-streaming of court proceedings. However, it expressed serious concern over the commercial use of courtroom recordings through monetisation, advertisements, personal promotion and misleading representations.The Chief Justice of India observed that the misuse of live-streamed proceedings for commercial gain had caused immense damage to the bar, the bench and the institution as a whole. Justice Bagchi also said some lawyers were using courtroom recordings for personal promotion and professional gain, raising concerns about the principles governing the legal profession.The Supreme Court will continue examining the petitions as the Centre prepares guidelines that are expected to include measures against those who violate restrictions on the unauthorised use and commercial exploitation of recordings of judicial proceedings.- Ends