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A High Commissioner was speaking on the importance of journalism in democratic India at the opening ceremony of the Golden Jubilee of the Kozhikode Press Club (PTI File Photo)
Referring to virtual courts created by the Covid-19 pandemic opening up more courtrooms, the judge said close scrutiny by the press and public has made judges’ jobs more difficult.
Kerala High Court Judge Devan Ramachandran said the media plays a major role in informing the public of court rulings and orders.
He added that without the press, the judiciary would be ineffective in reaching the public, as its rulings would only be presented in legal journals.
“I rely on the press to know the pulse of the people and I always say that our orders and rulings have no value unless the people know about them. In the event that the press boycotts the judiciary or refuses to report, our rulings will remain only in the press magazines. All the rulings that are talked about got attention because of the press. These are It is the importance of journalism. When public opinion is aroused, we know we are within the law. The same is true of the legislative and executive branches,” Ramachandran said.
The High Court justice was speaking on the ‘Importance of Journalism in Democratic India’ at the opening of the Kozhikode Press Club’s Golden Jubilee Gala.
Referring to virtual courts created by the Covid-19 pandemic opening up more courtrooms, the judge said close scrutiny by the press and public has made judges’ jobs more difficult.
“When I’m in court doing my job, I don’t really know what people want from me because I’m sitting in isolation. I only know if I’m doing my job well when the press reports my notes and orders. Now, we have the hybrid situation thanks to Covid. Sometimes bad things create things.” Also good. Covid is one of the bad things but it has led to new developments. Now, we can watch court proceedings both online and offline. This creates a lot of openness and makes it more difficult for us. There is a whole eye of the press and people on us. This is where the press leads her job and she tells me if I’m doing a good job,” added Ramachandran, who is known for his candid speech.
He warned against banning or restricting freedom of the press, pointing to the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, which catalyzed the Arab Spring, as a prime example.
“All the news you carry, all the information you transmit, you create a dialogue. The importance of dialogue is unfathomable. Imagine a situation, where the press is banned or quarantined, it will be a situation in which we have no idea what we want and the executive will have no idea what it wants.” The public. This will lead to revolutions and revolutions. “If you saw the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, how did this develop because people could not express their opinions,” Ramachandran said.
The press itself is democratic and the stability of the nation itself is a fourth pillar.
“No chair with three legs can be stable, we need the fourth leg, the press. It is the leg that stabilizes the whole system. This is the importance of journalism, sometimes we don’t really recognize much. The stability of a nation like India depends on the press, and that is why I say the press itself is democratic.”
Incidentally, India is ranked 150th out of 180 countries in the latest Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is republished from a syndicated news agency feed.)
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