Press urged to support judicial objectivity

Press urged to support judicial objectivity

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman said yesterday
that "trial by the press" should be avoided because it could
endanger judicial independence.

"The press should refrain from carrying news stories on crime
in such a way as to disrespect the principle of the presumption
of innocence, because this could influence the objectivity of the
court," Oetojo told reporters after a meeting with the House of
Representatives Legal Commission.

"On the other hand, a judge, in reading the stories carried by
the media, should be aware that he is being tested on his
independence and responsibility to God Almighty," he added.

Oetojo said that, with a lack of respect for the principle of
the presumption of innocence, the news media -- both printed and
electronic -- have a tendency to mix news and opinion.

"This can provoke people's anger through the creation of
negative public opinion," he said.

Oetojo said he regretted the fact that public wrath, caused by
the way the media has printed or broadcast reports on criminal
cases, had led to riots recently.

"The press has a big role to play in the efforts to build a
positive attitude towards criminal cases -- by trying not to make
their own judgments until the court has ruled on the case in
hand," he said.

Sjamsul Basrie, chief of the Honorary Council of the
Indonesian Journalist Association, told The Jakarta Post
yesterday that he had sent many warning letters to media
organizations asking them to be more careful in printing or
broadcasting crime stories so as to avoid rousing public anger.

Citing examples, Sjamsul said that the media had printed and
broadcast too-detailed reports on the recent gang rape and
robbery of a village family in Bekasi, 30 kilometers south-east
of here, and the brutal murder of a mother and three of her
children in East Jakarta. For example, the reports had mentioned
the ethnicity and creed of the prime murder suspect in the latter
case, he said.

This had stirred up public outrage, resulting in the attack on
the lawyers representing the suspects, said Sjamsul, who is also
chief editor of Suara Karya daily.

Conscience

He said that there are no legal sanctions against trial by the
press, but added that "as civilized people, editors should
consult their conscience."

"We have common sense in the journalists' code of ethics," he
said.

Meanwhile, a legislator of the Indonesian Democratic Party,
V.B. da Costa, said that to strictly curb the tendency to violate
the principle of the presumption of innocence on the part of news
media, Indonesia is in dire need of regulations on adherence to
the principle.

He said that the way in which the media have reported on the
two recent cases has not only tarnished the good name of the
suspects but also those of their families.

Rustandi, a legislator from the Armed Forces faction in the
House of Representatives, told the Post that the press' printing
of good stories should not be done at the cost of sacrificing
people's basic rights.

A public relations officer of ANteve television told the Post
by telephone yesterday that the private TV network has a policy
of broadcasting every event as both information and entertainment
in order to make it interesting for viewers.

The officer, Soraya Perucha, said that she did not mind
broadcasting details of a criminal case because "that's the way
it happens."

"And so far the TV station has never been criticized by the
public or reprimanded by the authorities," she added. (03)