The Supreme Court of India has issued a directive to mute the audio feed of its official livestream during the period when lawyers and litigants present fresh cases for urgent hearing, a process known as 'mentioning.' This procedural adjustment alters the public's ability to hear the specific requests and arguments made by legal counsel during the opening moments of the court's daily session.

While the court has increasingly embraced technology to increase transparency through digital broadcasts, this specific order restricts the audio component of that transparency during the initial phase of proceedings. The court has not publicly detailed the specific security or privacy concerns that necessitated this change, though such measures are often implemented to protect sensitive information or prevent the broadcast of procedural discussions not intended for the general public.

Legal observers note that the 'mentioning' phase is a critical time when lawyers attempt to secure priority dates for their cases. By muting the audio, the court effectively limits the public's ability to monitor how these priority requests are granted or denied in real-time. The move has sparked a quiet debate regarding the balance between the court's commitment to open justice and the practical requirements of managing a high-volume docket. While the visual feed remains active, the loss of audio during these exchanges creates a gap in the public record of how judicial priorities are set at the start of the day.