Supreme Court Bars Live Streaming for Self-Represented Litigants Appearing in Person

The Supreme Court of India has introduced new administrative measures aimed at maintaining courtroom decorum, enhancing security, and reducing the backlog of pending cases. Under the new policy, litigants who appear in court without legal counsel—known as party-in-person—will be encouraged to participate in proceedings through virtual hearings.

However, if a party-in-person insists on appearing before the court physically, the proceedings will not be live-streamed or video-recorded. The Court stated that this measure is intended to preserve the dignity of judicial proceedings and prevent disruptive incidents from receiving unnecessary public attention.

The decision was taken during a full court meeting of all Supreme Court judges on Wednesday and announced through an official statement on Thursday. It comes in the wake of an incident on July 10, during which a petitioner allegedly threw papers, used abusive language, and disrupted proceedings. Two law students were also arrested in connection with an alleged altercation with security personnel.

In a separate effort to reduce case backlogs, the full court decided to identify around 100 batch matters that are ready for final hearing. Their disposal is expected to facilitate the resolution of nearly 9,177 pending cases. The oldest pending matters, where notices have already been issued, will be listed for hearing every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday under a special roster.

The Court also resolved to constitute a committee of judges to simplify the daily cause list and will continue the practice of requiring lawyers to indicate the time needed for oral arguments in final hearings to improve case management. Additionally, all Supreme Court judges will participate in the 'Samadhan Samaroh' and a Special Lok Adalat from August 21 to 23 to promote the amicable settlement of disputes.