Karnataka High Court denies litigants right to archived hearing recordings

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking access to archived audio-visual recordings of court proceedings, ruling that litigants do not have an inherent right to such copies without a specific order from the Bench.

Justice C. M. Poonacha held that under the Karnataka Rules on Live Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings, 2021, archival data does not constitute the official record of court proceedings unless a judicial direction is issued. The court noted that Rule 10(2) strictly prohibits the recording, sharing, or dissemination of live-streamed proceedings or archival data by unauthorized persons or entities.

The ruling follows a challenge by a 72-year-old petitioner who sought copies of recordings from a writ appeal hearing. The request had been rejected by the Assistant Registrar (Information Technology), who cited rules stating the High Court maintains exclusive copyright over such data and that access is subject to court permission.