Kochi: Pronouncing a significant verdict on the "right to be forgotten", the Kerala High Court on Thursday held that personal information of litigants may not be published on the High Court website in family and matrimonial cases if they wish so, Live Law reported.

While holding that the claim for protection of personal information based on right to privacy cannot coexist in open court justice system, the court, however, permitted the masking of personal identities marriage and sexual offence cases.

The Division Bench of Justice A Mumehamed Mustaque and Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen, said the Court in appropriate cases, is also entitled to invoke principles relating to right to erase personal data available online" .

The verdict was pronounced while discharging the petitions that sought the removal of identifiable information from judgments or orders published in various online portals and the High Court website, on the ground that the same amounted to violation of the Right to Privacy and Right to be Forgotten.