Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Saturday said the media was running “kangaroo courts” on issues even experienced judges found difficult to decide.
Concerted campaigns against judges, particularly on social media, and media trials affected judicial functioning, he said, adding that doing justice was not an easy responsibility.
It is not easy to swallow when false narratives are created about the “easy life” led by judges, the CJI said.
He said ill-informed, biased and agenda-driven debates in the media on issues pending in courts were affecting justice delivery. “New media tools have enormous amplifying ability but appear to be incapable of distinguishing between the right and the wrong, the good and the bad and the real and the fake. Media trials cannot be a guiding factor in deciding cases,” Chief Justice Ramana noted.
The media had breached its responsibility, taking democracy two steps backwards, affecting people and harming the system, he said.
“Print media still has certain degree of accountability. Whereas, electronic media has zero accountability as to what it shows vanishes in thin air. Still worse is social media. Owing to the frequent transgressions and consequent social unrests, there is a growing demand for stricter media regulations and accountability,” the CJI said in his address at a function in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
He said it was best for the media to self-regulate and “measure their words”. “Judges may not react immediately. Please do not mistake it to be a weakness or helplessness. When liberties are exercised responsibly, within their domains, there will be no necessity of placing reasonable or proportionate external restrictions,” the CJI said.
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