New Delhi: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the blatant reliance on social media should be checked by citizens themselves so that peace and order are made a reality in the society.
There was a surge in mob lynching incidents very recently due to rumors and false news on social media leading to “mobocracy”, the Chief Justice noted.
The said these comments while he was Chief Justice of India delivering the presidential address during a function organized by the International Law Association (ILA). Apart from him, an eminent jurist, NR Madhava Menon delivered a lecture on “Courts, Media, and Fair Trial Guarantee”.
“There is a recent surge in mob lynching, please don’t misunderstand me because I have authored the judgment, there is a recent surge in mob lynching based on the viral text on the social media and this leads to mobocracy and loss of individual life, in certain cases”.
“The blatant reliance on social media needs to be checked by the citizens themselves; to ensure peace and order in the society,” the Chief Justice said.
He also advised the citizens to be more responsible and filter the information before taking any action based on blind reliance.
“Indian media houses must introspect and develop a sense of responsibility and maturity. The citizens need to be more responsible and filter the information as per their judgment before relying on and acting thereby paving a path to ensure a fair trial with a greater sense of responsibility,” the Chief Justice said.
He expressed the freedom of the press in his words as “mother of all liberties” in a democratic society and the media should have its own guidelines for self-regulation.
The Chief Justice said that the right to freedom of speech played a very important role in bringing public opinion in all matters of national importance, adding that I helped create an “informed citizenry”.
“Freedom of the press in a democratic society is the mother of all liberties. There is no doubt it is one of the most cherished and valuable rights guaranteed under the Constitution. It includes the right to know and the right to inform”.
“I am of the firm belief that there should be no guidelines (for the media). Let them frame their own guidelines and be guided by that. Nothing can serve better than an individual or collective guidelines of the press. There should not be any imposition, but there should be some kind of self-restriction,” he added.
The Apex Court Chief Justice also said that the media is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining objectivity while reporting on cases that could stir emotions of the general citizens.
Mr. Menon in his speech said that the media coverage at sometimes posed a real threat to a fair trial at three stages – prior to the trial, during the trial and after the completion of the trial.
He made it point to note that disclosing off the identity of the witnesses and accused might affect trial in many ways.
He said that a parallel trial by media agencies might have its influence on an investigating agency to make arrests and might even cause witnesses to turn hostile.
He further said that post-trial, the independence of the judiciary was threatened if the media questioned the integrity of the judge.
“The current CJI does not want any curbs on the media and has, in fact, said in court that he does not want any curbs on the media,” Mr. Menon said.
He said that the recent steps taken in the apex court to live-telecast of proceedings will open up a new chapter in media-judiciary relations.
Among others, Justice AM Khanwilkar of Supreme Court was also present during the event.
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