We want media to know its lakshman rekha: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the exercise undertaken by it for framing guidelines for reporting court proceedings was aimed at making the press know its "lakshman rekha" and not intended for taking punitive action against scribes.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the exercise undertaken by it for framing guidelines for reporting court proceedings was aimed at making the press know its "lakshman rekha" and not intended for taking punitive action against scribes.

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The remarks came when advocate Ashok Arora, former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association, was making submission against the endeavour to frame any guidelines for media.

"Whatever efforts we are making, please don't understand that it is for punishing or taking punitive action. We only want that press should know what is the 'lakshman rekha' for them. We want to make them know what are the points that has to be kept in mind," a five-judge Constitution bench headed by chief Justice SH Kapadia said.

The bench said media should understand that the guidelines will have nothing to do with the punishment part. An exercise has been undertaken to make them know that they cannot go beyond a "particular limit".

"This is the area we are exploring and this court has to lay down the contours of Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Please help us," the bench, also comprising justices DK Jain, SS Nijjar, Ranjana Prakash Desai and JS Khehar said.

Arora, who was appearing for a lawyers association, suggested that "knowledge of law alone is not sufficient for administration of justice."

He stretched his submission by saying that spiritual training and training of mind will help the judges even if spin is given by media about court proceedings.