Recordings of court proceedings over mobile: Judge orders

A judge of the Madras High Court today ordered destruction of a mobile phone after it was found that a man had recorded court the proceedings in the court hall.
After arguments in a civil case by advocate Vanathi Srinivasan were heard by the judge S Nagamuthu in the open court, he started dictating the judgment, which lasted for nearly an hour.
When the proceedings came to an end, advocate Srinath Sridevan, who was waiting for his turn to argue a case, submitted that one person there had recorded the entire proceedings in a mobile phone.
The judge, after an inquiry, ascertained that he is the son of the appellant of that particular case. The man accepted that he had recorded the proceedings.

Srinath Sridevan submitted that the act of the person amounts to interference with the administration of justice and the person should be punished.
Vanathi Srininvasan also submitted that the action has to be initiated in accordance with law.

The Judge then called the man to explain what made him to record the proceedings.
The man submitted that in order to explain to his father who is the appellant in the case, he recorded the proceedings and tendered an unconditional apology.
The man also submitted that he committed the wrong without knowing the consequences of it and also prayed to the court that his instrument may be destroyed by removing the sim card. The judge then called the officers of National Information Centre attached to High Court for verification.

They ascertained that the recording was found only in the cell phone and confirmed that even erased can be retrieved at any stage and suggested detruction of the phone.
The Judge ordered that recording of the court proceedings without permission would amount to serious interference in the administration of justice and the conduct of the person is serious and he requires punishment.
Since the person has apologised and assured that he will not repeat the mistake, the judge ordered the officials to impound the mobile with a direction to the Registry to destroy it forthwith after returning the SIM card and the battery.

The Judge also directed the man to file an affidavit giving an undertaking that he will not indulge in such activities in future.