SC restrains reporters from recording videos inside building

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has restrained beat reporters from recording YouTube videos and interviews inside its building, according to new guidelines issued on Monday.

SC Public Relations Officer (PRO) Shahid Hussain Kamboyo sent a letter detailing new regulations to the SC press association and Superintendent of Police (SP) Supreme Court.

As per the guidelines, the beat reporters will be allowed to enter the SC after “security checking, frisking and searching of bags/purses by the police personnel, therefore media persons must cooperate with security staff”.

“No media person will be allowed to record video clips interviews, YouTube programmes, etc inside the Supreme Court Building,” it added.

Moreover, the apex court spokesperson said media persons will not be allowed to carry cell phones inside the courtrooms.

“In case of any important case hearing, where limited space and heightened security warranted exclusive entry for a select number of journalists only, one person from each media house will be allowed entry. Other journalists will be accommodated in alternative courtrooms to observe the proceedings,” the notification added.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court released its first quarterly report from September 17 to December 16, 2023, revealing that the apex court disposed of more than 5,000 cases in four months.

The move, adhering to people's right to information as enshrined by Article 19-A of the Constitution, is aimed at fulfilling the top court's duty to better serve the people of Pakistan, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa said in a statement.

The report underscored the expedited handling of cases by the SC saying that it disposed of 5,305 cases between September and December 2023 — meaning that more cases were disposed of than those 4,466 filed in the apex court.