Justice Minallah Recalls Decision on Live-Streaming Court Hearings
ISLAMABAD: Justice Athar Minallah, the dissenting voice on a five-member Supreme Court bench, criticized the decision to deny live-streaming of court proceedings in the NAB amendments case, calling it a violation of public access rights.
Key Points:
- Justice Minallah highlighted that there were no exceptional circumstances to deny public access via live-streaming.
- His remarks were in response to a May 30 Supreme Court order, where a majority ruled that live-streaming should be exercised with caution.
- A previous request to live-stream a hearing attended by former PM Imran Khan via video link was denied.
- Justice Minallah stressed that denying live-streaming without compelling reasons erodes public confidence in the judiciary.
- He cited the Supreme Court’s past decisions, including the case of then-Justice Qazi Faez Isa, where public access to proceedings was recognized as a fundamental right.
- He drew parallels with past political persecutions of leaders like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, and Nawaz Sharif, emphasizing the need for judicial transparency to avoid perceptions of complicity.
The Supreme Court is set to resume hearing the NAB amendments case, with implications for future live-streaming policies and public trust in the judiciary.
