NETWORK18

News Videos Blogs

Font Size A+A-

Exclusive: Jethmalani flays media

TimePublished on Fri, Nov 03, 2006 at 22:32, Updated on Thu, Nov 09, 2006 at 11:28 in Nation section

Ads by Google

The media can’t be allowed to be the judge, says criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who is defending Manu Sharma, the main accused in the Jessica Lall murder case. “You (the media) are not the repositories of the citizens of India,” he tells CNN-IBN’s Sagarika Ghose in an exclusive interview.

Sagarika Ghose: In defending Manu Sharma, are you in some sense defending or attempting to defend the indefensible?

Ram Jethmalani: Who the hell is the Press to decide who is indefensible? Courts decide that. And they decide that after hearing the lawyers; and the lawyer’s duty is to assist the court to arrive at a conclusion. The Press has no right in trying to determine this issue. The Press in trying to determinate and declaring it to the people is guilty of the highest form of contempt.

"Who the hell is the Press to deicide who is indefensible?... I am a great lover of the Press and a great lover of the freedom of speech and expression. But please recognise your limits."

I am a great lover of the Press and a great lover of the freedom of speech and expression. But please recognise your limits. The worst contempt you can commit is the contempt of prejudicing mankind against a person who is standing in trial for life. You have no business in going around telling people that Manu Sharma's case is indefensible.

Every case is indefensible—how do you know? Who the hell are you to decide and I want to know. And I want to ask the proprietors who are running this show – what right have they? Have they the means of deciding? Have they heard the witnesses? Have they read the evidence?

Sagarika Ghose: But sir, aren’t you worried that you are going against the tide of public opinion?

Ram Jethmalani: I am not worried at all. It is my duty. I will be worried if lawyers of this country decided not to defend people. You don’t know the rule of the law, you don’t know democracy; you don’t know anything.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next Page »

Ads by Google

Related Ads:

CNN-IBN Poll | All About the Money

The Real Estate Poll: Is property hot any longer?

Click here

Catch the results of The Real Estate Poll on All About the Money, weekdays 6.30 pm on CNN-IBN

About Us | Disclaimer | Careers @ IBN | RSS | Podcast | Contact Us | Feedback | Advertise With Us

© 2008 IBNLive.com India. All Rights Reserved. A Web18 Venture