Now Reading: Supreme Court asks Centre for guidelines on live-stream misuse
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Supreme Court asks Centre for guidelines on live-stream misuse
The Supreme Court on Friday, 9 October 2026, said there was no gag on live-streaming court proceedings but expressed concern over commercial exploitation, misleading edits and self-promotion using clips. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana heard a plea seeking restraint on unauthorised extraction and monetisation of hearing videos. The court gave the Centre two weeks to file suggestions after collating views from high courts and other stakeholders.
The bench noted that some channels and lawyers were using clips for personal gain, damaging the institution. Justice Bagchi said the Bar Council of India prohibits lawyers from canvassing for professional benefit. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said distorted clips with misleading captions were being uploaded. The court clarified that recognised news outlets may continue reporting but cannot use audio or video clips of proceedings.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All four outlets reported the same hearing with uniform straight-news framing, each leading with the court's refusal to impose a gag while detailing concerns over monetisation and misrepresentation. Barandbench.com, India Today, Lawbeat and The Hindu all quoted the same exchanges with CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi and the lawyers, and noted the two-week deadline for the Centre to submit guidelines. None of the sources highlighted the criticism from activists that the July 24 interim order reversed the principle of open justice, though The Hindu mentioned it in passing. The coverage is consistent in substance and tone, with no divergence in stance across the outlets. The court is expected to frame guidelines after receiving the Centre's proposals within three weeks.
Coverage: 4 sources, 4 neutral
Sources (4): barandbench.com (neutral report), indiatoday.in (neutral report), lawbeat.in (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
