SCBA Condemns Litigant's Abusive Conduct In Supreme Court, Seeks Guidelines On Circulation Of Courtroom Videos

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Friday strongly condemned the incident in which a litigant allegedly hurled abuses, threw papers and created a ruckus inside a Supreme Court courtroom during proceedings before a Bench of Justice K.V. Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe.

In a statement issued, the SCBA described the reported conduct as “abusive and disrespectful” and stressed that the dignity and majesty of the Court must be respected at all times.

“The dignity and majesty of the Court must be respected at all times. Any attempt to abuse, threaten or disrupt judicial proceedings is wholly unacceptable and strikes at the very foundation of the administration of justice. Such conduct must be dealt with firmly and strictly in accordance with law,” the statement said.

The Bar Association reiterated that the sanctity of court proceedings must be preserved and urged that appropriate guidelines be framed governing the recording, clipping, editing and circulation of courtroom proceedings and videos.

According to the SCBA, such guidelines are necessary to prevent misuse of courtroom recordings and to ensure that the dignity of the Court and the administration of justice are not undermined.

The Association also called upon the Union Government to consider appropriate executive and legal measures to curb the circulation of videos or edited clips that are used in a manner which undermines the dignity of the judiciary or erodes public confidence in the institution.

The statement comes hours after a litigant disrupted proceedings before the Bench of Justice K.V. Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe by throwing papers and hurling abuses inside the courtroom. The Supreme Court later declined to initiate contempt proceedings against the litigant considering his condition.