Courts and the press: ‘Media must not comment on sub-judice matters’

LHC chief justice tells seminar that standard of court reporting is good.

LAHORE:

Commentary in the press and media about sub-judice matters, which is becoming increasingly common, is a negative side effect of the movement for the restoration of the judiciary, said journalists at a seminar here on Saturday.

Muhammad Ziauddin, the executive editor of The Express Tribune, said that lawyers and judges enjoyed greater independence now because of the movement to restore the judiciary, which was backed by the media.

“Perhaps judges like it when they are discussed on television talk shows,” he said, speaking at the seminar on court reporting and media ethics at the Punjab Judicial Academy. The seminar was organised by the Press Council of Pakistan and the Lahore Bar Association.

Ziauddin said that media commentary on sub-judice matter was disrespectful of the judiciary. He said the movement for judicial independence had given the judges additional responsibility and it was their job to guard the institution’s dignity.

Mujeebur Rehman Shami, chief editor of daily Pakistan, said the rising trend of open debate on pending cases hurt the judiciary’s image and should be curbed. He said lawyers, judges and media should work together to ensure a free flow of information about legal issues to the public.

Irfan Siddiqui, a columnist for Jang, said reporters should not add their opinions to news reports. Opinion writing is for columnist, commentators and editorial writers, he said.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said he was generally satisfied that reporting about the courts was factual and relevant. He said the public had a fundamental right to access to information about all institutions including the courts and no authority had the power to block this access. He said judgments became public property after the judges signed them, so they could not stop journalists from informing the public about them.

The chief justice said that he was open to criticism and kept his courtroom open to the public and journalists. He said that journalists should not fear contempt of court action, as this was reserved for those who do not implement court orders.

He said that he watched television journalists give their reports about court proceedings and was impressed by their understanding and efficiency. He said print journalists also wrote accurate and relevant stories.

Responding to a suggestion that court reporters get law degrees, Justice Saeed said he did not think this was necessary as the standard of reporting was generally good, while any shortcomings to be overcome were just a question of time and experience.

“The media cannot be controlled like puppets. The journalists’ community has struggled hard to attain their freedom.

They have sacrificed lives and faced jail. It is not a gift that someone gave them or that may be taken back from them,” he said.

Saeed Aasi, deputy editor of Nawa-i-Waqt, also spoke at the seminar. Justice Umer Ata Bandial and LHC Registrar Sohail Nasir attended the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2012.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly mentioned 'courts must not comment' in the headline. The error has been rectified.