Judges are not celebrities; online platforms need not report all our movements: Justice Sanjay Karol

Judges are not celebrities and online platforms should not report on their minute actions, the Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Karol said on Saturday..Justice Karol commented on how reporting on court proceedings should not be about sensational headlines, and how such reportage without adequate context can cause more harm than good. "Minute to minute reporting of utterances and observations is not appropriate considering the working circumstances. Here, I must emphasise to my friends from social media and electronic media that judges are not celebrities. And neither are these online platforms paparazzi who would need to report all our movements," he said. .The judge was one of the panelists who spoke on the theme Justice Delivery System: The Impact of Social Media, as part of the Bar Council of India's (BCI) two-day International Lawyers' Conference..In his address, the judge pointed out that the availability of information that is unchecked and unverified, at the snap of one's fingers, leads to misinterpretation, which then becomes the basis for heated debates and media trials.He raised concern over snippets of oral observations or queries made in court being made viral on the internet, to make it appear as if they are the final decision of the court.Sharing such half-baked information can cause great harm, Justice Karol said, particularly since the public is not generally aware of the niceties of court functions or the process that the court goes through before passing judgments..Popcorn justice? Edited clips of court hearings are appearing on YouTube and Instagram timelines.He noted that owing to misinterpretation of oral remarks by judges, storms are often caused on social media leading to personal attacks and questions on the credibility of judges and lawyers."In my view, these remarks are individualised viewpoints, possibly biased...are opposite to constructive criticism. We as judges are always open to correct ourselves. You have every right to express your viewpoint on the judgments which are delivered," he said.The actual need of the hour is to educate the media on the restrictions on the freedom of speech, he suggested..Justice Karol added that judges are also not an exception to the reaches of social media even if they are expected to live like hermits who have no desire or aspiration."We must ask that in truth can judges actually live a life of hermits, who have no desire or aspirations?"He, however, cautioned that judges using social media are expected to abide by the code of conduct applicable to them."Contextually, I am reminded of newly appointed sub-judge, proudly posting his first pronounced judgment on Facebook…and I need not say further," he added in a lighter vein..As his address drew to a close, Justice Karol underscored that freedom of speech is one of the most cherished values of the Indian Constitution. On that note, he added,"I would not say that there should be legislation to regulate social media. It is not always wise to give answers to questions. I am ending it here now. I am looking for answers from young people present here on the issues being discussed here.".The session also saw addresses by Justice JK Maheshwari of the Supreme Court; Tripura High Court Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Senior Advocates Rana Mukherjee and S Guru Krishnakumar..[Read live coverage of the session]