LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has switched off the cameras in its own corridors, banning mobile phone videos, photographs and TikTok clips anywhere on its premises.
A circular issued by Registrar Abdul Rahim binds everyone who walks through the gates, from court officers and staff to lawyers, police officials, journalists, litigants and visitors. Courtrooms, corridors, waiting areas and offices are all named as places where recording is no longer allowed.
The order covers the whole complex, including the new 11-storey block where 12 judges began hearings last month.
One spot survives. The area reserved for journalists is exempt, so reporters can still film and photograph from there.
Violators face strict action under the law, the circular warns. Where legal authority exists, the phone or recording device used may also be confiscated.
Administrative officers, registrars, the public relations officer, the research and reference officer, the high court bar associations and security officials have all been told to enforce the ban without exception.
The circular gives no reason for the move. Court corridors, however, have become a regular backdrop for social media clips of litigants and suspects in high-profile cases.
Lahore is the second high court to act within a fortnight. The Sindh High Court issued a near-identical circular on September 25, shutting cameras out of its courtrooms and waiting areas while keeping a designated corner for the press.
It also lands in a week of tighter house rules at the LHC. Days earlier, the registrar wrote to the Punjab police chief that no accused person may be arrested inside the court premises under any circumstances, even after bail is cancelled.
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