Supreme Court cracks down on ‘media trials’

New Delhi:The Supreme Court has taken strong exception to ‘media trials’ - referring to “biased reporting that gives rise to public suspicion the person has committed an offence” - and directed the Home Ministry to prepare guidelines for police to follow during press briefings in relation to criminal cases. The ministry has three months prepare a detailed manual.

The top police officers of each state and the National Human Rights Commission have been directed to submit suggestions to the home ministry within a month and the next hearing will be in January, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said, underlining the need to sensitise police personnel, according to NDTV report.

In March, the Chief Justice had urged journalists to “maintain standards of accuracy, impartiality and responsibility in reporting” and said, “... selective quoting of speeches and judgments has become a matter of concern. This practice has a tendency to distort public’s understanding of important legal issues. Judges’ decisions are often complex and nuanced, and selective quoting can give the impression a judgment means something different from what the judge intended.”

An annoyed Supreme Court emphasised the fact “media trials” violate the privacy of a victim or complainant, and that this is concerning if they are a minor. “Victim’s privacy cannot be affected. We also have to take care of the rights of the accused.”