Supreme Court to Probe 'Right to Be Forgotten' in Landmark Case

The Supreme Court will review the 'right to be forgotten' concerning the removal of judicial judgments from the public domain. This follows a stay on a Madras High Court order directing a law portal to remove an acquittal judgment. The case raises significant public record implications.

The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to examine issues surrounding the 'right to be forgotten' for accused individuals seeking to remove judgments containing their names from the public domain. This issue is seen to have ''serious ramifications''.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud stayed a Madras High Court judgment that had previously instructed a law portal to remove from its website a verdict acquitting a man in a rape case.

''The judgments are part of public records and the orders for their removal by the courts will have serious ramifications,'' stated Chief Justice Chandrachud.

The bench questioned the feasibility of directing such orders, pondering, ''how can the high court direct the portal to pull down the judgment? Once delivered, it becomes part of the public record''.

The court was hearing an appeal by the 'India Kanoon' portal against the Madras High Court order, which was initially prompted by a plea from Karthick Theodore.