A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, addressed the issue of transparency in judicial proceedings during a recent hearing. The Chief Justice emphasized that controversies should not lead to calls for halting the live streaming of court proceedings, stating, “The answer to sunlight is more sunlight,” to ensure maximum transparency. He also remarked that “social media cannot be controlled.”
The bench noted that live streaming could promote more measured behavior among judges and lawyers during hearings.
The discussion arose after CJI Chandrachud took suo motu cognizance of Justice V. Srishananda’s controversial comments regarding a Muslim-majority locality in Bengaluru, which he referred to as “Pakistan” during remarks about traffic rule violations. These comments sparked significant backlash on social media, especially after a misogynistic remark directed at a female lawyer.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda expressed regret for his statements, clarifying that they were unintentional and taken out of context. He stated, “A few observations made during judicial proceedings were reported out of context on social media platforms. If such observations hurt any individual or community, I express my sincere regrets.”
Justice Srishananda indicated that he would have clarified his comments if the advocate had been present. Senior advocate Vivek Subbareddy acknowledged that while the judge’s judgments are commendable, his informal remarks during hearings could negatively impact lawyers, particularly due to live streaming. The Advocates’ Association has called for action against YouTubers misrepresenting court proceedings.
The Supreme Court firmly asserted that any reference to Indian territory as “Pakistan” undermines the country’s territorial integrity, with CJI Chandrachud reiterating, “We can’t call any part of the territory of India as Pakistan.”
