The courts and the media should work together so that justice is seen to be done, said Chief Justice Pius Langa on Thursday.
He said there is a ”complementary relationship between the work judges do and the work of journalists” in deepening democracy. Courts define the parameters of people’s rights and obligations, while the media disseminate this information.
Langa was speaking at Constitution Hill at the launch of a handbook for journalists on court reporting.
He referred to the media reports on Thursday’s Constitution Court judgement, which declared the Choice on the Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act and the Traditional Health Practitioners Act invalid due to lack of public involvement in passing the Bills as prescribed by the Constitution.
”The power of the media is such that more people have read and heard the headlines than were in court today.”
Langa warned that this places a huge onus on the media to report accurately on court proceedings.
He said he sometimes wishes that courts have the power to reach people the way the media do. ”There is no doubt that the media is the most effective vehicle for expression.”
Langa said media freedom is an ”invaluable attribute” of democratic states, but that this freedom should never be used as an excuse for irresponsible reporting. Neither the courts nor the media should lose sight of the context in which they operate and the people who should benefit from their actions.
He encouraged journalists’ efforts towards competence in reporting.
The handbook, Reporting the Courts, is published by the South African National Editors’ Forum and the Association of Independent Publishers. It comprises a desk guide and a pocket-size handbook for use on the job.
Langa commented that the pocket guide is the same size as the Constitution booklets and encouraged journalists to read that too.
In the foreword to the book, Langa wrote that journalists have a responsibility to report on the work of the courts ”accurately and fairly but not uncritically”.
Criticism should be based on ”a full understanding of the law and a proper appreciation of the motivation for and the consequences of the decision”.
He said it is an even greater challenge to inform the public about their rights and how to enforce them.
”This handbook is a welcome and timely innovation to help journalists enhance the quality of their reporting and to improve the often antagonistic relationship between the media and the courts.” — Sapa