Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 27 July 2026

Case Overview

  • Writ Petition (Civil) No. 751/2026 filed by Harshita Grover against Union of India & others.
  • Petition heard on 24‑07‑2026 before a bench of Chief Justice, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana.
  • Respondents initially: Union of India and four other entities (Nos.1‑5).
  • On oral submission by Senior Counsel Dr. Vikas Singh, the Court impleaded additional respondents (Nos.6‑38), comprising:
  • All Indian High Courts (Andhra Pradesh, Allahabad, Bombay, Calcutta, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gauhati, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir‑Ladakh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Meghalaya, Orissa, Patna, Punjab & Haryana, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Telangana).
  • Major digital platforms: LinkedIn Corporation, Meta Platforms, Inc. (including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Google LLC (including YouTube), X Corp. (Twitter).
  • The Court directed that notice be issued to all newly added respondents and that an amended memo of parties be filed before the next hearing.

Directions

1. Issue notice to all respondents.

2. Respondent Nos.6‑30 (the High Courts) to be served through their standing counsel or via the Registry informing the respective Registrar Generals.

3. Union of India to submit a proposal identifying the nodal ministries to give effect to the petitioner's prayers.

4. Each High Court must submit a status report on the adoption of the Model Rules for live streaming and recording of court proceedings, including feasibility of continuous/uninterrupted streaming.

5. Respondent No.3 (Bombay High Court) to furnish information regarding all intermediaries.

6. Interim Measure: No extraction, dissemination, monetisation, posting, re‑posting, uploading, transmitting, modification, storing or hosting of audio‑video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or any digital platform without prior permission of the Secretary General of the Supreme Court or the Registrar Generals of the respective High Courts.

7. The Secretary General of the Supreme Court and the Registrar Generals of all High Courts shall upload this order on their websites for public information.

8. Clarified that the order does not affect reporting of court proceedings by recognized news outlets.

9. List of respondents to be finalized by 31‑07‑2026.

Final Outcome

  • The Supreme Court issued an interim order restricting unauthorised live‑streaming and digital dissemination of court proceedings, mandated status reports from all High Courts on implementation of Model Rules, and directed the Union of India to propose coordinating ministries, thereby establishing a regulatory framework for live‑streaming of judicial proceedings in India.

Topics: Judicial Live Streaming, Digital Platform Regulation