Panaji: While asserting that the media these days are is involved so much in publicizing the offenses, Justice Prakash D Naik, Judge of Bombay High Court at Goa on Saturday said that “Judges don’t get influenced by the media.”
Addressing the lecture series GRK-Judiciary Talks at G R Kare College of Law, Margao, Justice Naik said that sometimes media gives its decision even before the case is tried before the court.
Responding to a question asked by a student during the session on his opinion on media trial, the Judge said “it is always said that there is something called a media trial.”
“I won’t say that the Judges are affected by the media, (if I say that) then you would say, by reading we are giving the judgments,” Justice Naik said.
“It is said by the common public that media nowadays is involved so much in publicizing the offense committed by the particular person or giving decision before that person is tried by the trial court for the offense,” he said.
The Judge said that “the media cannot go to such an extent. Sometimes witnesses are interviewed before they go to the court.”
Justice Naik said that it is said that such a media trial is having an effect on the prosecution.
“But as far as I am concerned, I would always go by the fact. Every judge should go by the fact (like) what is the evidence before the court of the law and how the prosecution has proved the case,” he said.
Justice Naik said (if that is done) that judgment would not be influenced by the media.
“Judges don’t get influenced by the media,” he said.
In his address to the students, Naik, who is originally hails from Goa and later went to Mumbai for his practice, recollected the past days when he began practicing.
“I recollect during my days. the legal profession was not given importance. People used to think that it is not rewarding,” he said.
Justice Naik recalled those days when he had no telephone in his home and had to go to a public telephone booth to call clients.
“One day, an attendant of the booth asked me “tumhala kahi miltay ka” which means Do you get anything in the profession. This was the impression of the public,” he said.
Naik said that when he was studying law, most of his colleagues who were studying with me were employed in some private firms or banks or government institutions.
“Law was being studied as a part-time study. After introduction of the five-year law course, I can see all the students who are serious are joining now. There are several ventures open to the lawyer,” he said.
