SC to hear plea alleging contemptuous remarks against judiciary

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear next week the plea of a lawyer alleging that some advocates and politicians were making contemptuous remarks against the apex judiciary on social media and news channels.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submission of lawyer Gaurav Bhatia, who is also a BJP spokesperson, that even senior lawyers and politicians were making contemptuous public statements about the judiciary and the court should take judicial note of these remarks.

"We will hear either on Tuesday or Wednesday," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

The plea has sought guidelines for setting out responsibility and duty of the print and electronic media towards the society and also towards judicial institutions in respect of reporting the order, judgements and proceedings of the court.

"Guidelines in relation to the reporting of oral observations made by the judges during a hearing of a matter not forming part of the court order," the plea sought.

The petition has highlighted several "unpleasant" incidents which have happened inside the courtrooms during the court of hearing and also outside the precincts of the apex court while seeking detailed guidelines.

Bhatia referred to some tweets of activists and some people attached to political parties against the judges and said he cannot even read some of them in the court.

"These unsavoury and uncharitable comments", made on channels and social media, by some persons are contemptuous in nature, he alleged.

He has sought contempt action against the lawyers and politicians and said he would be filing a petition shortly on the issue.