NHRC not in favour of curbs on media reporting: KGB

NEW DELHI: NHRC Chairperson K G Balakrishnan today said the Commission would not like to have any curbs on media reporting which has an important role in promotion and protection of human rights.

He was asked about NHRC's stand on the Supreme Court appointing a committee to make guidelines for media reporting during a media workshop organised by the Commission.

"The Commission is a formal party in the matter. However, it has decided not to intervene in it as the issue is only about reporting on court proceedings and not for general issues.

"The NHRC would not like to have any curbs on media reporting and it would rather want to have as much increased interface with media as possible for building awareness on human rights issues," he said.

He said media has an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights.

The decision not to intervene in the Supreme Court matter, which is being heard at present by a Bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia, was taken at a recent sitting of the Commission presided by Chairperson Justice K G Balakrishnan.

The Supreme Court constituted a bench to frame media guidelines following "misreporting" of certain proceedings in the court as well as reporting matters which were yet to come to the court.

The case has been vigorously argued in the court with some senior lawyers opposing any attempt to frame guidelines saying it would amount to curbing free speech while one senior lawyer has welcomed it.

Earlier in an interview to PTI, Balakrishnan had flagged concerns about the press breaching privacy laws and rights of accused though he said that NHRC was not intervening in the matter.