Allahabad High Court warns of social media falsehoods harming judicial credibility

A bench of Justice Ajay Bhanot and Justice Divesh Chandra Samana warned that the spread of false information on social media poses a serious threat to the credibility of the judicial process and the dignity of the courts. The judges noted that a judge's reputation is built over a lifetime, yet online falsehoods can destroy it within seconds.

"There is no justice for judges who are prey to such social media propaganda," the bench said.

The court linked the recent courtroom violence – where lawyers vandalised Justice Bhanot's courtroom and assaulted staff – to a wave of misinformation that followed the incident. It said the bar had made false accusations and used provocative language, while social platforms amplified half-truths that damaged the High Court's standing.

"An entire narrative of falsehoods and half truths was developed and propagated on the social media platforms to bring the High Court into disrepute," the judges wrote.

The bench called for a review of constitutional jurisprudence on free speech to address the challenges posed by digital misinformation and highlighted the lack of mechanisms to prevent large-scale fake news. It recommended filing an FIR against individuals responsible for the false posts and indicated that the court would take steps to protect the judicial process from such interference.