Live streaming of hearings in the Supreme Court

Which cases are live streamed?

In the summer of 2023, the Supreme Court had live stream equipment installed in the courtroom of the Second Division, which means that all live streamed cases will be heard there.

A legal basis for live streaming of court hearings was in place in 2022. According to section 124 a of the Courts of Justice Act streaming is permitted when “there are no restrictions on public disclosure of the hearing, and privacy and other considerations do not speak decisively against it”.

In cases where live streaming is permitted, the Supreme Court makes an assessment based on certain criteria:

• As a general rule, cases heard by the plenary and a grand chamber are streamed.
• General public interest. If the legal issue concerns a large group, live streaming is more likely than if the case involves issues of a narrower and more technical nature.
• Constitutional review. The review of decisions or measures by the other state powers is particularly important in a rule-of-law perspective and requires a high degree of transparency.
• Geographic basis far from Oslo.
• Variation in areas of law, to ensure a that we over time reach a wide range of interest groups.

Live stream, no recording

A few of the audience seats in the courtroom are visible on the live stream, and these are clearly marked. No recording of the live stream will be available on the Supreme Court's website.

Do you have questions about live streaming in the Supreme Court? Please contact us at info@hoyesterett.no