Judges, journalists share common belief that pen is mightier than sword: CJI Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud raised concerns about the selective quoting of judges' speeches and judgments in the media.

He said that this is leading to a distorted public understanding of important legal issues.

The Chief Justice made the comments in the wake of a rise in legal journalism and the increasing interest in stories emerging from court halls. He said that the concern is about the one-sided reporting in the newly developing field.

We are witnessing a rising interest in legal journalism, CJI Chandrachud said while delivering the keynote address at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards organised by the Indian Express in collaboration with the Ramnath Goenka Foundation.

"We are witnessing a rising interest in legal journalism. Legal journalists are the storytellers of the justice system, shedding light on the complexities of the law. However, selective quoting of speeches and judgements of judges by journalists in India has become a matter of concern. This practice has a tendency to distort the public understanding of important legal issues. Judges' decisions are often complex and nuanced and selective quoting can give the impression that a judgment means something entirely different from what the judge actually intended. It is thus essential for journalists to provide a complete picture of events rather than presenting a one-sided view. They have a duty to report accurately and impartially," CJI Chandrachud said.

He noted that both journalists and judges share the common belief in the aphorism that the pen is mightier than the sword. They also share the occupational hazard of being disliked by virtue of their professions, he said.

"This is no easy cross to bear. My judicial clerks have been telling me in recent times that I have been added to the list, that I better not scroll down on Twitter," he said.

While laughing at this personal revelation, he optimistically addd that members of both professions relentlessly kept at their daily tasks and hoped that one day the reputations of their professions would receive a makeover.

"There is a strong need to bridge the gap between the truth and the lie," Justice Chandrachud further said, while speaking about unbiased and non-partisan journalism. He spoke at length about the alarming phenomenon of 'fake news', which threatened the independence and impartiality of journalism as an institution. He firmly said, "It is the collective responsibility of journalists as well as other stakeholders to weed out any element of bias or prejudice from the process of reporting events." Justice Chandrachud said.

"Media houses are expected to act cautiously while publishing news because fake news can guide or misguide millions of people at once. This is in direct contradiction with the fundamentals of democracy which form the bedrock of our existence. Across the globe, fake news has a capability to create tensions between communities by misleading people. Therefore, to protect the democratic values of fraternity which can be damaged, if not destroyed, through biased reporting, there is a strong need to bridge the gap between the truth and the lie," he said.

"Responsible journalism is the beacon of truth that guides us to a better tomorrow. It is the engine that drives democracy forward based on the quest for truth, justice, and equality. As we navigate the challenges of the digital age, it is more important than ever for journalists to maintain standards of accuracy, impartiality, responsibility, and fearlessness in their reporting. That is the truth and that is what Ramnath Goenka stood for, which is why we pay our homage to him with these awards," CJI Chandrachud also said.