MP High Court Halts Live Streaming of Criminal Cases Citing Misuse for Derogatory Social Media Content and Violation of Rule 11(b) of Live-Streaming Rules - 2025-09-13

MP High Court Halts Live Streaming of Criminal Cases Amid Concerns of Misuse for Social Media Memes

Jabalpur, MP – The High Court of Madhya Pradesh has issued an interim directive to temporarily halt the live streaming of all benches hearing criminal matters, effective September 15, 2025. The decision comes in response to a writ petition highlighting the rampant misuse of court proceeding footage for creating derogatory and misleading social media content, including memes, reels, and clips.

The order was passed in the case of Arihant Tiwari vs. Union of India , where the petitioner, appearing in person, brought the court's attention to the issue.

Background of the Petition

The petitioner, Arihant Tiwari, argued that various private entities and individuals were misusing the live-streamed proceedings of the High Court. He contended that this content, often edited or morphed, wrongfully portrays the legal fraternity and is contrary to the dignity of the court.

The petition highlighted that this misuse continued unabated despite a previous order from the court in Dr Vijay Bajaj Vs. Union of India and Others (W.P.No.30572 of 2024), dated November 4, 2024. That order had explicitly restrained social media platforms like Meta, YouTube, and Twitter, as well as media agencies and the general public, from illegally editing, morphing, or sharing live-streamed court proceedings.

Arguments Presented

The petitioner submitted that the unauthorized creation of short clips and videos from live-streamed proceedings, particularly from criminal cases, is a direct violation of Rule 11(b) of the Madhya Pradesh Live-Streaming and Recording Rules for Court Proceedings, 2021. This rule is designed to prevent the misuse and unauthorized reproduction of court proceedings.

The court took serious note of these submissions, acknowledging the potential for such content to undermine the sanctity of the judicial process.

The Court's Interim Order

In its interim order, the High Court directed its Registry to take immediate action. The key directives include:

• Suspension of Live Streaming: The live streaming of all benches hearing criminal matters is to be stopped forthwith until the next hearing date.
• Alternative Access: To ensure transparency and public access are not entirely curtailed, the Registry must provide an unrestricted Webex link on the court's website. This will allow any interested person to view the proceedings live.
• No Recording Facility: Crucially, the court specified that the Webex link must not provide any recording facility to the viewers, thereby preventing the easy capture and subsequent misuse of the footage.

The court has issued notices to respondents no. 4 to 7 and has scheduled the next hearing for September 25, 2025. The matter has been listed along with the related case of Dr Vijay Bajaj Vs. Union of India and Others .

Implications of the Decision

This decision by the Madhya Pradesh High Court marks a significant development in the ongoing discourse about the live streaming of court proceedings in India. While the initiative for live streaming was lauded for promoting transparency and access to justice, this order underscores the practical challenges and risks of misuse in the age of social media. The court's balanced approach—halting direct streaming while providing alternative viewing access without recording capabilities—attempts to safeguard the dignity of the judicial process without completely reverting to opaque proceedings. The outcome of this case will be closely watched as it may set a precedent for other high courts grappling with similar issues.