HC asks public to suggest norms for court coverage

In a unique initiative, the Delhi High Court has sought suggestions from the general public on formulating guidelines regarding coverage of court proceedings and granting accreditation to journalists for the purpose.

A questionnaire was issued recently after deliberations of a committee on 'Media Reporting in Courts - Balancing Free Press, Fair Trial and Integrity of Judicial Proceedings', set up by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal on June 23.

A circular, published in the high court website, said the committee would explore the "ideal balance" between freedom of press and administration of justice.

"To this end, the committee seeks the opinion of various stakeholders on formulating guidelines for accreditation of media personnel reporting from the Delhi High Court and other lower courts in Delhi," it said.
 

It also asks the public to give their suggestions on the matter to the panel through the joint registrar of the High Court.

The batch of ten questions posed to the public include suggestions on whether live-tweeting or real-time reporting of the court proceedings should be allowed or not.

It has been asked whether there should be any penalty for an accredited journalist for misreporting the court proceedings.

The suggestions for penalty include warning, temporary suspension or permanent withdrawal of accreditation and financial penalty on the reporter or the media organisation.

The high court also sought suggestions from the public on reporting of the oral observations made by a judge during any hearing, as also whether the reporters be allowed to carry electronic devices inside the courtroom to report.

The questionnaire includes posers whether accreditation for journalists should be made mandatory for court reporting and the qualifications needed to get such accreditation.

Accreditation is a process by which an authority requires a person to meet certain standards/qualifications before they are permitted to carry out certain activity.