Media Trials and Criminal Justice in India

Media in India has become a public court that is interfering with court proceedings. Media influence people’s talk at a given time and place. Media influences the population’s opinion regarding situations in the society. The media reflects people’s diverse perceptions of unlike situations. Media presents stories in a manner that will capture the public’s attention regarding the situations. Recently, the media has also been involved in criminal justice trials, especially high-profile cases. This has been said to interfere with the criminal justice process, including witness testimony and the evidence collected in a given case. There is a widespread concern that criminal justice processes should be handled carefully by the media. The current study was conducted to examine the influence of media on the criminal justice system in India. The study examined the relationship between court verdicts and media trials in India. The narrative policy framework was used to guide the study. Data were gathered from a variety of sources, including the court cases and the related verdicts picked up by the media as media trials from 2005 to 2015. Findings indicated that media interference affects the Indian criminal justice system, often adversely. Findings may be used to help public policymaking bodies formulate media guidelines about reporting crime and the justice system in India. Findings may also be used to bolster public confidence in the judicial system in India.