Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Hon Justice Mr Radhakrishnan, Honorable Justice Mr Sinha, Hon Leader of Opposition of Rajya Sabha - Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr Bhagyesh Jha, Mr Khandavavala, Registrar Sir, members of the Gujarat High Court and the Judiciary at large, representatives of various electronic and print media, distinguished guests

Our GNLU Team for this programme led by Ms Nidhi Buch, Ms Debashree Sarkar and William Nunes and all team members,

All staff members of the GNLU and GNLU Ambassadors, our students,

Most importantly the trainee participants of the first GNLU Intensive Training Programme on Media and Law

Friends,

On behalf of the GNLU, I extend you the most warm welcome greetings.

As a University that aspires to achieve the ceiling of being reckoned as a world class law university, it is our endeavour to build as many equitable partnerships as possible with both people and institutions across various sectors. It is in furtherance of this aim that the idea of organizing and conducting a Media & Law Training Programme was first conceived. At GNLU we realize the importance of the role that the Media plays in our everyday lives. I cannot emphasize enough as to how the Media influences, shapes and moulds our thoughts and conduct alike on a day – to – day basis. This belief holds even truer in the 21st Century, an era dominated by technology where information is freely and readily available through different channels.  Consequently, it is this ready availability of information through various channels that raises questions regarding the ‘use’ and ‘abuse’ of both information and the power to influence minds that vests within such information. It is precisely at this cross-road that Media and Law converge as well as often cross swords with each other.

The Importance of Media & Law

As we are already aware, the media has evolved from being a medium that was restricted to newspapers and satellite broadcasting to being one which is freely and easily available through the electronic medium such as the Internet at the click of a mouse. Consequently, the process of distributing information today mandates a higher degree of care and caution to be exercised by media persons across all levels from high profile editors, reporters, freelancers to independent bloggers all of whom fall under the singular umbrella of the Media.

What is also important is that when we refer to the Media, we are not only referring to newspapers and news channels as is often confused with. The Media as a whole encompasses a wide variety of forums such as newspapers, news channels, films, music, independent reviewers, commentators; bloggers so on and so forth. This broad classification of the Media thus demands different levels of checks and balances depending on the particular ‘medium’ in question. For example, newspapers would require a separate legal framework in contrast with Films.

This is where the GNLU steps in. It is our earnest desire, to educate and train media persons across all mediums in order to achieve more credibility, accountability and responsibility both from and towards the ‘fourth estate’ as well as to ensure that a congenial environment with regard to sensitivity of information is inculcated and appreciated by all stake holders.

I fully understand that as soon as we hear the word ‘law’ attached to anything, the first images that are generated in our minds are those of endless visits to the Court coupled with litigation that seems to stretch longer than a chewing-gum almost to the extent of being never ending.

However, I assure you that integrating the law with Media will not result in any of these visuals. Moreover, training personnel in understanding the implications of the law with respect to Media will facilitate a more cohesive information-delivery system.

Mr. F. S. Nariman, the noted jurist, had once observed, “A responsible Press is the handmaiden of effective judicial administration.  The Press does not simply publish information about cases and trials but, subjects the entire Justice – hierarchy (police, prosecutors, lawyers, Judges, Courts), as well as the judicial processes, to public scrutiny.  Free and robust reporting, criticism and debate contribute to public understanding of the rule of law, and to a better comprehension of the entire Justice – system.  It also helps improve the quality of that system by subjecting it to the cleansing effect of exposure and public accountability.”

The need is that the courts be criticized but there is just as great a need that courts be allowed to do their duty fearlessly.

Mahatama Gandhi said: “one of the objects of the media is to understand the popular feeling and give expression to it, another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments, and the third is the fearlessness to expose popular defects.” 

The question is not of the deficiency of law on media, but the observance and effective implementation of the existing laws. With the impact of globalisation, the scenario in media reporting has undergone and is still undergoing changes faster than anticipated.

Conclusion:

As being said:

WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Concluding by drawing a comparison between the poem and the Media... co-relating it with earnest reporting v/s abuse of power ... resulting in manipulation of the public ... need of the hour – regulations, checks and balances to ensure transparency, accountability and to ensure that Media as a tool is not used to subvert legal barriers and or negatively influence the public.

I express my deep gratitude to the members of the GNLU Executive Council which has enabled us to organize this workshop and have always been there to support our initiatives to make the University excel in education, research, training and extension programmes. The programme will feature speakers from various parts of the country and in a true sense will have representatives from judiciary, legislature and executives who can give useful insights into the interplay between law and media.

To live up to our working motto, namely, motivated staff and committed students to provide best private and public legal services to the nation and the world at large, our first of students have graduated and second batch is on its way to serve the mission. I invite my media colleagues to give boost to our efforts in whatever way you can. GNLU would like to become a role-model university and is heralding in real sense public-private partnerships with all stakeholders. Introduction of a wide range of courses, various projects assisting directly the stakeholders, introduce of performance management appraisal system, establishment of centres of excellence in sports, food security, environment, investment, family law, initiation of best faculty awards at national level, are some of our 2009 initiatives. Last but not the least, we believe that the NLUs are created not only to produce good lawyers who serve the corporate and legal firms, which has become a trend, but also to build capacity of all law colleges which produce lawyers who serve the judiciary at the grass root levels. In this regard, we have initiated a concerted and coordinated programme to enhance the capacity of law colleges of Gujarat. Similarly, to hone the skills and knowledge of members of the Bar Council of Gujarat, GNLU is initiating a training academy for the members from tomorrow. Our ongoing training course on mediation helps “law-interpreters”, the current one will help in “law dissemination” and the training course on legislative drafting next month will help the “law-makers”. We try to make sure that each and every program and activity fits in such a holistic framework.

We hope that these initiatives will enable us to provide solid contribution to the legal infrastructure of the country which is needed to achieve our vision of India a developed nation by 2020.

Thank you and best wishes to all participants for the training.

Bimal N. Patel

Director (Vice-Chancellor)