Courtroom biases: Mediapersons facing host of problems in SC

Limited seating arrangements, restriction on use of library and cafeteria and PASC office.

ISLAMABAD:

The journalists covering Supreme Court proceedings are facing a host of problems in dispensation of their professional duties. They face various kinds of discrimination: from entering into the apex court to using its cafeteria. Restrictions have been imposed on reporters making it difficult for them to report the court proceedings accurately.

For the SC administration, over a dozen reporters are security risk but the over 1,000 lawyers are not. At least 42 journalists, who are members of the Press Association of Supreme Court (PASC), are not allowed to enter the court premises from the parking gate for security reasons. They are allowed only through the main gate, which is at about 10 minutes walking distance from the parking area. However, lawyers, police officials, VVIPs and staff of the court are exempted from these security measures.

There is no proper sound system for the journalists in the court rooms, except court room no 1. The seating capacity is limited and there are no proper seating arrangements for reporters in the courtrooms.

The reporters are also not allowed in the cafeteria or the journalists’ office which was provided to them by a former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA)president. Some of the journalists complained that they do not have access to the SC libraries to get background material in filing stories and study the judicial  history and of some important cases. No one except the SC lawyers is allowed to use the library. Only judges have access to the SC reference library.

Kamran Khan, president, PASC, said “Everyone reminds us of our responsibilities but no one is ready to address our problems”. He complained that all journalists, except a few are facing identification issues and even the security guards do not acknowledge them at the gates.

Many a time journalists were summoned by the Registrar for inaccuracies in their reports. Khan said since the reporters are not facilitated like they should be,  it is leading to these  discrepancies, Khan said.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Asma Jahangir told The Express Tribune she will take up the issue with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. “It is amazing that cell phone of a particular TV channel reporter was not jammed even inside the court room,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.