Title: Supreme Court to Examine “Right to be Forgotten” Issue in Public Judgments
In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has decided to scrutinize the issue concerning the “right to be forgotten” of an accused seeking removal of judgments containing names from public domains, acknowledging the potential serious ramifications of such actions.
Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, heading the bench, also issued a stay on a Madras High Court judgment that had directed a law portal to remove a verdict from its website, which acquitted an individual in a rape case. The CJI emphasized that judgments form part of public records and their removal orders by courts could have far-reaching consequences.
The apex court’s decision stemmed from an appeal filed by the “India Kanoon” portal against the Madras High Court’s directive to remove the aforementioned judgment, which was prompted by a plea from Karthick Theodore.
