MP High Court Puts An Interim Stay On Live Streaming Of Criminal Case Hearings At All Benches Citing Misuse On Social Media

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur has temporarily stopped the live streaming of hearings in criminal cases.

The decision was taken by a division bench led by the Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva while hearing a petition filed by advocate Arihant Tiwari. 

The petition stated that video clips of court proceedings were being misused on social media. They were edited into shorts, memes & reels, and were going viral on social media. The content also portrayed the legal process wrongly often.

The court has directed the Registrar to ensure that until the next hearing, no live streaming of criminal matters takes place. 

Unrestricted link would be available for those authorised

However, an unrestricted Webex link will be made available so that only authorised and concerned persons can view the proceedings. Importantly, no one will be allowed to record the hearings through this link.

The Court’s statement read, “In the meantime, the Registry is directed to forthwith stop the live streaming of all Benches hearing criminal matters till the next date of hearing. 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.”

The court has also issued notices to the Centre, the State Government, the High Court Registrar and officials of platforms like YouTube and Meta.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for September 25, 2025.