MP High Court Pauses Live-Streaming of Criminal Cases Amid Concerns of Misuse

Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, September 15, 2025

In a significant legal development, the Madhya Pradesh High Court today ordered a temporary halt to the live streaming of hearings for all criminal cases. The decision, handed down by a division bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, was a response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that highlighted the misuse of live court proceedings on social media platforms. The petitioner, advocate Arihant Tiwari, argued that video clips, reels, and memes created from the live streams were being used to show court proceedings in a poor light, thereby undermining the dignity and decorum of the judiciary. The interim order, which takes effect immediately, directs the court registry to "forthwith stop the live streaming of all Benches hearing criminal matters till the next date of hearing." While the court acknowledged the importance of transparency, it also sought to balance this with the need to prevent the proceedings from being sensationalized or distorted for public consumption. To ensure continued access for interested parties, the court instructed the registry to provide unrestricted Webex links on its website. However, it explicitly banned the recording of these proceedings through the Webex link, a move aimed at preventing unauthorized copying and circulation. This ruling comes at a time when the live streaming of court proceedings is becoming increasingly common across India, a practice that gained momentum after a landmark Supreme Court judgment in 2018. While the initiative was broadly welcomed as a step toward greater transparency in the justice system, the recent misuse of these videos has sparked a debate about the need for clearer guidelines and stronger regulatory oversight. The Madhya Pradesh High Court's decision underscores this growing concern, particularly in the context of criminal matters where the privacy and reputation of individuals are often at stake. The case has been listed for a further hearing on September 25, when the court is expected to deliberate on a more permanent solution that can protect the integrity of the judicial process while upholding the principle of open access.