REVISED NORMS FOR ACCREDITATION OF THE LEGALÂ CORRESPONDENTS IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
(Dated 03-01-2007)
1. He must have a Law degree recognized by the Bar Council of India under the Advocate Act.
2. He should ordinarily have seven years’ Court reporting experience in a daily newspaper and/or a national or international news agency or electronic Media Organization of which at least five years must be at Supreme Court or at any High Court(s) in India.
Provided, however, that out of the said period of five years three and a half years at least should, immediately prior to the application for accreditation, be continuous.
OR
He should have five years continuous regular court reporting experience for an Electronic Media Organization, immediately prior to the application for accreditation, of which at least two years must be in Supreme Court or at any High Court(s) in India.
3. He has regularly reported the proceedings of the Supreme Court for at least six months for a daily newspaper or for one year for an electronic media organization, on temporary accreditation granted to him and continues to represent a daily newspaper of not less than 40,000 circulation certified by the Registrar of Newspapers, the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) or the Director of State Information Bureau or a national or international news agency or an electronic media organization.
3 (A) The Chief Justice of India, for special reasons, may refer to the Accreditation Committee the case of any deserving candidate for consideration of according accreditation in relaxation of the rules and guidelines and on such reference the Accreditation Committee may advise the Chief Justice of India suitably.
4. On being granted regular accreditation on the prescribed application, the legal correspondent will be issued an identity card which will be valid for one year and which will have to be renewed annually.
5. In case, an accredited legal correspondent is transferred or otherwise ceases to represent the above-mentioned newspaper, news agency or electronic media organization for which he was granted accreditation, he shall, within two weeks of such transfer or cessation, return the identity card issued to him by the Supreme Court Registry.
6. TEMPORARY ACCREDITATION:
An applicant for temporary accreditation will be eligible for consideration on his fulfilling the following conditions:
(a) He is working journalist desiring to report regularly the Supreme Court proceedings and furnishes a letter from his newspaper, news agency or other media organization
concerned to that effect.
(b) He possesses a Law degree recognized by the Bar Council of India under the Advocates Act.
(c) The application must be accompanied by an attested copy of the Law degree.
(d) He should ordinarily have seven years’ Court reporting experience in a daily newspaper and/or a national or international news agency or electronic Media Organization of which at least five years must be at Supreme Court or at any High Court(s) in India.
Provided, however, that out of the said period of five years three and a half years at least should, immediately prior to the application for accreditation be continuous.
OR
He should have 3 ½ years continuous regular court reporting experience for an Electronic Media Organization, immediately prior to the application for accreditation, of
which at least 1 ½ years must be in Supreme Court or at any High Court(s) in India.
(e) The application must be supported by clippings showing the Court reportage for the requisite number of years and a letter from the Chief Editor certifying the above-mentioned experience of reportage. Clipping will however not be required, if experience of Court reporting for a newspaper is not claimed.
7. All facilities including the supply of free cause list and a copy of the judgment/order will be confined only to the accredited legal correspondents. Each media organization will be entitled to only one free copy of the judgment/order/ cause list through its regularly accredited correspondent.
7(A) An Accredited correspondent, regular or temporary, shall while in Court precincts be in a formal dress, in a manner befitting the décor of the Court and displaying prominently his accreditation card.
8. TEMPORARY REPORTING FACILITY:
The Registrar in his discretion may grant temporary reporting facility to a working journalist for a day / short duration or for a specific case on his fulfilling the following criteria:
He must submit a formal letter from the Editor making a specific request along with his PIB Accreditation Card of Parliament Pass for correspondents for being considered for the grant of such temporary reporting facility.
9. That whenever a press representative who has been accorded accreditation leaves the Press / Agency / Organization which he is representing and joins another Press / Agency / Organization, he may not be extended the privileges of an accredited press representatives unless he seeks fresh accreditation by making appropriate application in accordance with the norms.
10. Grant of accreditation will be in sole discretion of Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India and his decision in this regard shall be final and binding on all.
11. The accreditation, whether permanent or temporary, can be withdrawn, at any time, without assigning any reason.
These guidelines are dated 03-01-2007.