AAB: Clamp down on social platforms that show judicial system in poor light

Stating that there was a whole new commercial market on social media that demonises, twists, manipulates and portrays court deliberations in a manner that insults the entire system, including judges, lawyers, and litigants, the Advocates Association, Bengaluru (AAB) has urged the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka to clamp down on the use of court’s live-streaming by social media platforms by editing, cutting, etc.

“By creating sensation on social media this market strives to get lakhs of likes and views and thereby they monetise legal deliberations [lived-streamed by the High Court], which are not to be made use of to earn money,” the AAB said in its letter addressed to Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria on Saturday (September 21).

Tread cautiously

Meanwhile, the AAB said that courts, judges and advocates would have to tread very cautiously in times of live-streaming of judicial deliberations.

The association said that judges would have to exercise serious caution while commenting on the advocates and their arguments as social media platforms, which unauthorisedly using court’s live-streaming contents with cuts and edits, were giving provocative titles humiliating advocates to grab viewership.

The title “Judge scolding the lawyer” is a stereotype that was attracting lakhs of viewership on social media, said AAB president Vivek Subba Reddy.

Though many judges were cautious and refrained from commenting on the performance of lawyers, some need to be sensitised in the social media age.

Published - September 21, 2024 10:10 pm IST