New Delhi:
A Delhi court on Friday favoured "self-restraint" by the media in providing information saying it has to balance the "twin interests" of the right to information to general public and the right to privacy of a person.
"Any regulation on the powers of the Press had always invoked sharp criticism from every quarters. Therefore, a restraint has to come from within. It has to be a self-restraint balancing the 'twin interests' of right to information of the general public on the one hand and the right to privacy of the person on the other hand, with respect to whom the information is sought to be revealed or aired," Special CBI Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora said.
The court made the remarks in the judgement convicting former BJP President Bangaru Laxman in a fictitious arms deal case.
Maintaining that the role of the press was "immense" in a democratic polity, the court said the power which the press and journalists enjoy "has to be exercised with a great sense of responsibility".