No Ban on Journalists from attending and reporting Court Proceedings: Kerala High Court
THE Kerala High Court has clarified that there is no ban imposed on the Journalists from attending and reporting Court Proceedings. The Committee to formulate Code for the Press and Electronic Media in relation to Reporting of Court Proceedings will look into the issue of framing guidelines to provide prompt and easy access for the Journalists to judgments and orders which are pronounced and issued.
The High Court however added that taking into account the requirements to insulate the Chamber and Office of each Judge and attached Staff, including Private Secretaries and Personal Assistants, the individual Judges will be at liberty to decline access to any person to their Chambers and the Office of the Private Secretaries and Personal Assistants.
Norms for accreditation of legal correspondents in the High Court of Kerala have been approved at the meeting of the Full Court held on 10.11.2016.
Inter alia, they are -
+ He must have a Law degree recognized by the Bar Council of India constituted under the Advocates Act.
+ Any working journalist/ correspondent who desires to regularly report the High Court proceedings may be eligible to be considered for regular accreditation by the High Court of Kerala. An applicant can also procure for temporary accreditation.
+ The conditions laid down would be required to be fulfilled by the working journalist/correspondent/applicant.
+ Temporary accreditation granted shall be valid for a maximum period of three years. On being granted regular/temporary accreditation, the legal correspondent so accredited will be issued an identity Card.
+ The accreditation, whether regular or temporary, shall be liable to be withdrawn by the Chief Justice, at any time, without assigning any reason and such decision shall be final and binding. Not more than two correspondents of a newspaper/news channel shall be granted accreditation at a time.
+ The Registrar General may in his discretion also grant temporary reporting facility to a working journalist for a day/short duration or for a specific case on fulfilling the laid down criteria. The working journalist who has been granted temporary reporting facility shall comply with the conditions which are to be observed by accredited journalists.
+ An Accredited Legal Correspondent, regular or temporary shall while in Court precincts be in formal dress in a manner befitting the decorum of the court and shall display prominently his identity card.
+ An Accredited Legal Correspondent, regular or temporary, shall, at all time, maintain decorum in the court and refrain from doing anything that may disturb the proceedings of the court and shall always abide by the instructions/orders of the Presiding Judge, for the smooth conduct of the court proceedings and shall also confine to area/seats provided for them.
+ An Accredited Legal Correspondent, regular or temporary, shall make only a true and correct reporting of court proceedings/ orders/judgments, without any distortion and embellishment.
See Norms
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