Observations quoted out-of-context on social media, says Justice Srishananda of Karnataka High Court

Some of the office bearers of the AAB pointed out to Justice Srishananda that wrong or misleading words used by YouTubers on their channel for the live-streamed proceedings is causing trouble even for the advocates and the Registrar General and the Registrar Judicial will have to control such contents on YouTube channels.

Making it clear that his certain “observations made during judicial proceedings were reported out-of-context in the social media platforms and his remarks were unintentional and not to hurt any individual or any section of the society”, Justice V. Srishananda of the High Court of Karnataka on Saturday expressed his “sincere regrets if his observations had hurt any individual and any section or community of the society.”

Justice Srishananda read out a statement in this regard in the open court on Saturday afternoon in the presence of some of the office bearers of the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru (AAB), several lawyers, and others present in the court hall, before commencement of regular judicial proceedings.

Referring to his remark, made while addressing a woman advocate recently during judicial proceedings, which had gone viral on social media, Justice Srishananda said that the remark was not intended to her [woman advocate] but it was to her client. Stating that he would have clarified this point to the woman advocate if she was present in the court, he requested the office bearers of the AAB to convey his message to her as she was not present in the court hall.

When AAB President Vivek Subba Reddy said that Justice Srishananda’s judgements are excellent but kathas and upakathas [side stories] that the judge speaks during the hearing is what causing trouble to the judge as well as to the lawyers when it is live streamed though the side stories are interesting to listen, Justice Srishananda said that he would stop narrating such things.

Meanwhile, some of the office bearers of the AAB pointed out to Justice Srishananda that wrong or misleading words used by YouTubers on their channel for the live-streamed proceedings is causing trouble even for the advocates and the Registrar General and the Registrar Judicial will have to control such contents on YouTube channels.

The comments made on YouTube clippings are worst and it amounts to interference in judicial proceedings, a lawyer pointed to Justice Srishananda.

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