Issues Even Experienced Judges Find Difficult To Decide… CJI Ramana Slams ‘Media Trials’ As ‘Kangaroo Courts’

Asking media, particularly electronic and social media, to behave responsibly, CJI Ramana said, the power should be used to educate the people and energise the nation in a collective endeavor to build a progressive, prosperous and peaceful India.

Written by: India.com News Desk Edited by: Analiza Pathak

Updated: July 23, 2022, 3:02 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/india/cji-nv-ramana-says-media-running-kangaroo-court-agenda-driven-debates-affecting-health-of-democracy-justice-satya-brata-sinha-5530254/ Copy

Issues Even Experienced Judges Find Difficult To Decide... CJI Ramana Slams 'Media Trials' As 'Kangaroo Courts'

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday expressed concerns about the “concerted campaigns” in media, particularly social media, against judges and “ill-informed and agenda driven debates” on issues related to cases before Courts. Delivering the inaugural lecture instituted in the memory of Justice Satya Brata Sinha, CJI Ramana said that several media organisations in the country were running “kangaroo courts… on issues even experienced judges find difficult to decide on.”

“Media trials cannot be a guiding factor in deciding cases. Of late, we see the media running kangaroo courts at times on issues even experienced judges find difficult to decide. Ill-informed and agenda-driven debates on issues involving justice delivery are proving to be detrimental to the health of democracy,” he said.

He added that, “Biased views being propagated by media are affecting the people, weakening democracy, and harming the system. In this process, justice delivery gets adversely affected. By overstepping and breaching your responsibility, you are taking our democracy two steps backward.”

CJI Ramana expresses concerns over campaigns against judges: Top Points

1. Print media still has a certain degree of accountability, he said, adding that electronic media has zero accountability as what it shows vanishes into thin air. At times, there are concerted campaigns in media, particularly on social media, against judges, he said.
2. Owing to the frequent transgressions and consequent social unrest, there is a growing demand for stricter media regulations and accountability, CJI Ramana said.
3. In fact, looking at recent trends, it is best for the media to self-regulate and measure their words. You should not overstep and invite interference, either from the government or from the courts.
4. Asking media, particularly electronic and social media, to behave responsibly, CJI Ramana said, the power should be used to educate the people and energise the nation in a collective endeavor to build a progressive, prosperous and peaceful India.
5. He also emphasised the need to strengthen the judiciary, saying an increasing number of physical attacks on judges are being witnessed.
6. “Can you imagine, a judge who has served on the bench for decades, putting hardened criminals behind the bar, once he retires, loses all the protection that came with the tenure? Judges have to live in the same society as the people that they have convicted, without any security or assurance of safety,” he noted.
7. “Politicians, bureaucrats, police officers and other public representatives are often provided with security even after their retirement owing to the sensitiveness of their jobs. Ironically, judges are not extended similar protection,” he said.
8. CJI Ramana said one of the biggest challenges before the judiciary at present is prioritising the matters for adjudication as judges cannot turn a blind eye to social realities.

Recently, Ramana, responding to the concerns expressed by Union minister for law and justice Kiren Rijiju over the huge case backlogs in the country, said that the non-filling up of judicial vacancies was the major reason for the pendency of cases in the country.

Ramana and Rijiju were attending the All India Legal Services Authorities Meet at Jaipur.