The Karnataka High Court has suspended the live-streaming of its court proceedings on Tuesday. The High Court claimed that the video conference facility was recently misused. On this morning, Chief Justice PB Varale announced the decision in the court before the live stream to the courtroom presided over by him was abruptly halted.
The Chief Justice said that the measure is intended to preserve the judicial institution and urged all stakeholders to cooperate. Speaking about the decision, the chief justice mentioned that some mischief is being played and that there may be something at the level of technology or some people. He also urged the concerned not to immediately rush to the Court Registry and make complaints as to why their permission is not being granted.
Chief Justice PB Varale also observed that the situation is unprecedented and unfortunate. He underlined that the Karnataka High Court was always in favour of using technology for the public at large. He urged everyone to cooperate for the interest of the institution. Reports said that the live streaming of court proceedings in all three benches of the Karnataka HIgh Court at Bengaluru, Dharwad and Kalaburagi is being suspended for the time being for cyber-security reasons.
Earlier on Tuesday, the administrator who was moderating the Zoom meeting, through which court proceedings were being live-streamed, informed the participants that they would have to disclose their name and the item number of the case they wished to follow to remain in the virtual meeting. Nonetheless, after the judges assembled, it was informed that virtual hearings were being suspended altogether.
A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court also admonished High Courts for discontinuing virtual access to court hearing after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided. Notably, measures to live-streaming of court proceedings gained momentum after the top court permitted the live-streaming of court proceedings in cases of Constitutional importance with its 2018 judgment in the Swapnil Tripathi Case.