Committee formed to resolve issues between media, lawyers

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant development in the stand off between lawyers and journalists here, two High Courts Judges Friday held discussions with representatives of the two groups and decided to set up a Media Relations Committee to sort out issues between them.

The committee, to be headed by the district sessions judge, will comprise representatives of journalists and advocates' associations and also that of advocates' clerks.

It was decided that any issue relating to the functioning of the media should be resolved by the committee and matters which cannot be settled should be brought to the notice of the two judges-- Justice P N Ravindran and Justice P R Ramachandra Menon-- who arrived here this morning to hold discussions.

A section of lawyers had Thursday gone on rampage in the district court complex here and pelted stones and empty beer bottles at the journalists who had gone to cover a court case.

The incident was sequel to the tiff off between journalists and lawyers of Kerala High Court in Kochi over the media coverage of the case of an alleged bid by a government pleader to molest a woman in the city.

Kerala Union of Working Journalists President C Rahim and Trivandrum Press Club President Pradeep Pillai told reporters after meeting the two judges, that they had conveyed that yesterday's (Thursday) incidents on the media here were without any provocation.

"A media relations committee has been formed to sort out the issues," they added.

Meanwhile, a section of advocates took out a procession in front of the Ernakulam Press club at Kochi and allegedly made some provocative remarks.

In Thrissur, advocates burnt some newspapers in front of the Press Club.

Lawyers in various parts of the state boycotted courts today also.

A judicial commission will be probing the Kochi incident.