KANGAROO COURTS | IAS GYAN

Copyright infringement not intended

In News

The Chief Justice of India has raised concern over rising incidents of media kangaroo courts, Ill-informed and agenda-driven debates that are hurting Indian democracy.
- Biased views promoted by the media are affecting the people, weakening democracy, and harming the system.
Chief Justice of India has urged the media, particularly electronic and social media, to behave responsibly.

Kangaroo Court

It is defined as an unofficial court managed by a group of people to try someone as guilty even without good evidence.
It ignores acknowledged standards of law or justice.
The first kangaroo courts originated in the United States in 1849.
It was first mentioned in 1853 in a book in the USA.
It undermines the importance of the Judiciary and poses a serious challenge to the law and order situation.
It also goes against the principle of “Rule of Law”.

Concern

The media is far from being independent. This is because of the Control of Government over the media Called Censoring and because big business houses Control the media.
Corporate Funding - A lot of money is spent on maintaining People and getting the latest technology. To meet this Cost, it needs money.
- Media, therefore, uses advertising as a tool to raise revenue.
Manipulating News for TRPs is not only a financial scam but also morally and ethically wrong.
Some Channels are spreading a hate narrative which is a violation of the fundamental right of the citizen to know the truth through the media.
The media has become a source of disinformation, and this is also an ethical issue.
- Both legal and ethical dimensions are equally serious

Way Forward

The democratic way of life depends upon the existence of free agencies of mass media.
The Media must act in a Responsible and Independence manner; they need to promote Sincerity, Truthfulness, Accuracy, and Impartiality in their work.
News reporting must be factual and objective.
Programs relating to Controversial public issues are needed to give fair representation to both sides of the issue.
Children’s programs are to be educational rather than merely entertaining.
Advertising of hard liquor, and fortune-telling, must be avoided.
Privacy is one of the fundamental freedoms of people and it is essential to liberty and human dignity.
A journalist must be held accountable for the consequences of the reporting.
Need to promote a Free and Responsible Press.
The technique of murder must be presented in a way that will not inspire imitation.
Brutal killings are not to be presented in detail.
The media should not report glorification of war, over-sentimentality, unnecessary brutality or killing, passionate love scenes, undue sympathy for immoral or criminal behaviour, or superficiality.
Government can facilitate the Reform Process. The government may pass a law that any violation will face legal action or criminal action, but the media needed a strong policy of Self-regulation and at the same time independent regulation.