KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that he has obtained an assurance from the Chief Justice of Kerala that a public announcement will soon be made to make it clear that there is no ban on media on the High Court premises.
Mr. Vijayan, who met Chief Justice Shantanagoudar Mohan Mallikarjuna Gowda at his residence here on Tuesday, told the media that the Chief Justice had informed him that necessary instructions would be issued to the Registrar of the High Court in this regard.
The meeting was held in view of the fact that the situation at the High Court had not returned to normalcy, Mr. Vijayan reckoned, referring to the ongoing stand-off between the media and a section of lawyers regarding entry of mediapersons on the court premises for news coverage.
Mediapersons had complained to the Registrar about the existing situation that made it impossible for them to enter the High Court, but it elicited no response from the Registrar. Mr. Vijayan said he brought it to the notice of the Chief Justice, who said he would ask the Registrar to respond.
The Chief Minister said he also brought to the notice of the Chief Justice the issue of delay in obtaining bail for people taken into custody on the eve of holidays. The Chief Justice told him that if a letter was sent to the Registrar in this regard, there existed a system of tasking a judge with the job. A circular would be issued to subordinate judiciary in the State to put in place a similar system, the Chief Justice assured him.
Mr. Vijayan was accompanied by Advocate General CP Sudhakara Prasad when he met the Chief Justice.
