Sri Lankan Supreme Court judge moves Karnataka High Court for removal of links of old online news reports from Google

In an unprecedented case, a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Justice A.H.M.D Nawaz, has moved the High Court of Karnataka seeking a direction to Google India to remove online links of old alleged defamatory news reports published in 2015 and 2020 against him related to certain controversies by Sri Lankan newspapers, namely, Colombo Telegraph and Lankenews.

Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum of the High Court, before whom Justice Nawaz’s petition came up for hearing on Thursday , ordered the issue of notice to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Google while adjourning further hearing till March 16.

‘Notice through email’

Meanwhile, the High Court asked the advocate for Justice Nawaz to serve notice to Sri Lankan newspapers through emails.

Though the petition was filed in the High Court’s registry way back in January 2025, it was posted for hearing on Thursday.

It was pointed out in the petition that he was the President of the Court of Appeals of Sri Lanka when these alleged defamatory news reports were published, and subsequently, the cases related to alleged controversies involving him were quashed by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Following the quashing of the cases, he was elected as a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, where he continues to serve even today, it has been stated in the petition.

Stating that despite the quashing of the case, the old defamatory news reports referring to him are still available for the public beyond the shores of Sri Lanka through Google links, the petition points out. Since Justice Nawaz is a visiting member at several esteemed colleges within SAARC nations, the continued existence of these news reports in the public domain tarnishes not only his professional career but also inflicts irreparable harm upon his reputation in the academic and legal communities, as contended in the petition.

Why Karnataka HC

It has been pointed out in the petition that as a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Justice Nawaz is ethically prohibited from filling lawsuit to address these defamatory articles in Sri Lanka as it would conflict with the well-established legal principle that ‘one cannot be a judge in their own cause.’

“India possesses a judiciary of unparalleled strength and integrity, one that upholds the rule of law with unwavering commitment. In this regard, the petitioner has invoked its jurisdiction and filed the present case, confident in the judicial process that safeguards justice for all, irrespective of nationality,” it has been stated in the petition, while adding that the Google India headquarters being situated in Bengaluru was the reason for him to choose the Karnataka High Court.

Justice Nawaz also relied on the judgment of the High Court of Delhi on ‘right to be forgotten’ in the internet age for removing outdated contents affecting right to privacy of individuals from online.