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NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 23:
 

Chief Justice of the Madras High Court AP Shah delivering a speech at a two-day national seminar in University of Madras. Vice-chairman of State Planning Commission M Naganathan and Registrar of University of Madras M Ranganatham are among those present.

        The day is not far off when electronic media will enter courtrooms to bring in live coverage for audience across the country, Chief Justice of Madras High Court A P Shah has said.

        Speaking at a two-day national seminar on 'Information and Communication Laws' organised here yesterday by Department of Legal studies, University of Madras, Shah said the Home Ministry was exploring the possibilities of permitting electronic media into the courtroom.

        He said that a trial by press, electronic media or public agitation was the antithesis of the rule of law and it can only lead to miscarriage of justice.

        'There is an increasing and intense public focus on courts and the cases filed in them and a positive by- product of changes spurred by the media and addressed by the courts was that the people were now more aware of their Constitutional rights than ever before,'he said adding that no government would ever think of clamping legal restrictions on the freedom of the media whatever the situation.

        Shah said that more time in the news casts on print and electronic media were devoted to judicial proceedings, especially criminal cases because of its sensational value.

        All through his speech, Shaw covered a wide range of topics including media laws, right to information, freedom of press, censorship, laws of defamation, contempt of court and its privacy.

        Vice-chairman of State Planning Commission, government of Tamilnadu, Naganathan, Registrar, University of Madras M Ranganatham and Dinamani correspondent PAA Krishnan were among the others who spoke.