Justice Suvedi Highlights Negative Impact of Media Trials on Judicial Processes

April 25, Biratnagar – Supreme Court Justice Saranga Suvedi expressed her concerns about the negative effects of media trials on the judicial decision-making process. According to her, when court orders or rulings go against a party, that party often uses the media to spread misleading stories. “When the court issues an order against someone, that person has access to the media, and from the very next day we see reports under the judge’s name, often false. People read and believe these,” she said. “No one sees or writes about the judge’s sincere efforts. The media only reflects what is written,” she added.

Speaking at an interaction program on the “Role of Judicial Coordination Committees in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Judicial Processes,” Justice Suvedi lamented that media trials have adversely affected the functioning of the judiciary. Given the judiciary’s highly sensitive nature, she urged everyone to avoid activities that could influence judicial proceedings. She further emphasized the need to protect courts, which remain the last institution in which the public places trust. “It’s a place you and I will all need to visit someday. Thousands of agitated citizens seeking justice come to the court, hoping to find safety there. While many criticize from outside, justice can only be found inside the court,” she asserted.

Justice Suvedi called for sensitive and responsible reporting about judges. “You might question whether sensitivity is needed when writing news about us,” she remarked. She also appealed to legal professionals to uphold their social responsibility by providing free legal services to the poor and helpless when necessary. “If you charge 20 clients, at least one should receive free service. Treat this as a form of worship and dedicate yourself to securing justice for the disadvantaged,” she suggested.

Serving as the central coordinator of the Judicial Coordination Committee, she highlighted delays in delivering justice due to incomplete case details and the lack of exact residential addresses during the preliminary phases. Justice Suvedi expressed concern over issues such as procedural delays, incomplete addresses, and weak police investigations hindering timely justice. “When statements differ between the police and the court, it leads justice into darkness,” she explained. Participants of the event raised complaints regarding procedural delays, cases filed without defendants in banking fraud matters, and how delays in surveying and land revenue offices affect justice delivery. Chief Justice Rajan Bhattarai of the High Court in Biratnagar noted that justice is attainable only through the coordination of all stakeholders, given the judiciary’s extreme sensitivity.