More than three months after it began, the stand-off between media and lawyers in Kerala shows no signs of thawing out..As the Kerala High Court celebrates its diamond jubilee, the Regional Committee of Indian Newspaper Society and Kerala Television Federation has written to the Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur to resolve the stand-off between media and lawyers and ensure that media is granted access to courts to report proceedings..Justice Thakur is in Kerala to attend the Diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court..The letter has blamed “the actions of a section of legal fraternity” for the breakdown in the relationship between the judiciary and the media..The letter reads,.“While welcoming you to Kerala on the occasion of the high court’s diamond jubilee celebrations, we are saddened to inform you that the actions of a section of the legal fraternity has seriously affected the excellent relations that obtained till recently between the judiciary and the media in the state..For the last six decades, Kerala has benefited from the timely intervention of many illustrious judges, whose vision and perspective have helped he state evolve into an enlightened society with commendable legal literacy. But a series of sad incidents — stemming from the reportage of an indecent incident involving government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran’s misbehaviour with a woman at a crowded Kochi street – are a blot on this legacy.”.The letter further states that nothing has changed despite the meeting between representatives of media and Justice Thakur in July this year over the issue..“We all were immensely hopeful of an early solution post that meeting. But unfortunately precious little has changed on the ground..This bleak scenario is continuing in spite of intervention of Governor Justice P Sathasivam, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, various international press associations, senior leaders of all socio-political organizations and prominent citizens. To give you an update, journalists were hounded out of the chief justice’s court the very next day after a third communiqué reassuring the media of hassle-free entry and reporting, signed by the Registrar General, was sent to our offices.”.The letter also alleges mistreatment of media personnel at Vanchiyoor court in Trivandrum while also lamenting that media has no access to daily orders and judgments making “real time coverage” impossible..The letter states that it could be the last appeal made in this regard before media is “forced to withdraw colleagues from courts taking into consideration their safety and security”. The letter ends with some rather strong words requesting the CJI,.“.. to drill sense into this section of the legal fraternity of Kerala who are standing between our right to practise journalism and the reader/viewer’s right to information”..Interestingly, lawyers have consistently denied the allegations made by the media and have maintained that the media persons have been the first one to instigate violence. They have also been vocal on social media platforms lamenting that their version of the story has gone untold.
More than three months after it began, the stand-off between media and lawyers in Kerala shows no signs of thawing out..As the Kerala High Court celebrates its diamond jubilee, the Regional Committee of Indian Newspaper Society and Kerala Television Federation has written to the Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur to resolve the stand-off between media and lawyers and ensure that media is granted access to courts to report proceedings..Justice Thakur is in Kerala to attend the Diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court..The letter has blamed “the actions of a section of legal fraternity” for the breakdown in the relationship between the judiciary and the media..The letter reads,.“While welcoming you to Kerala on the occasion of the high court’s diamond jubilee celebrations, we are saddened to inform you that the actions of a section of the legal fraternity has seriously affected the excellent relations that obtained till recently between the judiciary and the media in the state..For the last six decades, Kerala has benefited from the timely intervention of many illustrious judges, whose vision and perspective have helped he state evolve into an enlightened society with commendable legal literacy. But a series of sad incidents — stemming from the reportage of an indecent incident involving government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran’s misbehaviour with a woman at a crowded Kochi street – are a blot on this legacy.”.The letter further states that nothing has changed despite the meeting between representatives of media and Justice Thakur in July this year over the issue..“We all were immensely hopeful of an early solution post that meeting. But unfortunately precious little has changed on the ground..This bleak scenario is continuing in spite of intervention of Governor Justice P Sathasivam, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, various international press associations, senior leaders of all socio-political organizations and prominent citizens. To give you an update, journalists were hounded out of the chief justice’s court the very next day after a third communiqué reassuring the media of hassle-free entry and reporting, signed by the Registrar General, was sent to our offices.”.The letter also alleges mistreatment of media personnel at Vanchiyoor court in Trivandrum while also lamenting that media has no access to daily orders and judgments making “real time coverage” impossible..The letter states that it could be the last appeal made in this regard before media is “forced to withdraw colleagues from courts taking into consideration their safety and security”. The letter ends with some rather strong words requesting the CJI,.“.. to drill sense into this section of the legal fraternity of Kerala who are standing between our right to practise journalism and the reader/viewer’s right to information”..Interestingly, lawyers have consistently denied the allegations made by the media and have maintained that the media persons have been the first one to instigate violence. They have also been vocal on social media platforms lamenting that their version of the story has gone untold.
