The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered an interim stay on the live streaming of proceedings in criminal cases, after concerns were raised about the misuse of such videos on social media.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) that alleged rampant misuse of live-streamed content from the High Court.
The court issued notices to the Registrar General of the MP High Court, Registrar (IT), as well as major social media platforms YouTube and Meta. Notices were also directed to their grievance redressal officers, Suraj Rao and Amrita Kaushik, seeking a response to the petition.
The PIL, filed by advocates Arihant Tiwari and Vidit Shah, contended that live-streamed videos of High Court hearings were being edited into memes, short videos, and other content circulated on social media platforms. The petitioners argued that such practices not only distort the proceedings but also undermine the dignity and authority of the High Court.
The bench has sought replies from the parties concerned and stayed the live streaming of criminal case hearings until further orders. The matter will be taken up for further consideration after responses are filed.
