MP HC temporarily stops live streaming of criminal cases' hearing from Sep 15

Jabalpur, Sep 14 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh High Court has temporarily paused live streaming of hearings of criminal cases from Monday, while hearing a PIL claiming they are being shown in a bad light and misused on social media.

The registry is directed to "forthwith stop the live streaming of all benches hearing criminal matters till the next date of hearing," a division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf said in an interim order on Friday.

"However, Registry shall ensure that unrestricted Webex Link is made available on the website so that any person, who wishes to view the proceedings can do so through the Webex Link. The Registry shall also ensure that recording facility through the Webex Link be not provided to any person, who wishes to view the proceedings," it said.

The order is to be implemented with effect from September 15, the court said.

Advocate Arihant Tiwari, who moved the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), told PTI over phone that the HC has listed the case for hearing on September 25.

He told the HC that the live streaming of court proceedings was being misused by several private entities by creating reels, clips and memes.

Furthermore, he said, the proceedings are being shown on social media in poor light.

"I also told the court that according to some estimates, the online courtroom proceedings of the MP High Court were viewed highest in the country. So its distortion should be stopped," Tiwari said. PTI LAL GK