Freedom of Press and Judiciary
Freedom means having the right or privilege to speak and express our thoughts without fear. In a democratic society, freedom in an essential element because citizens have the right of expression. Throughout the world, democracy is elusive because most governments go against people’s wishes, which should not be the case. In a democratic system, the government has independent functional bodies, including several entities like the press that act as watchdogs to ensure that civil rights are protected.
The press and the judiciary play important roles in any society. By preserving, the freedom of press and the judiciary is imperative because they act as indices of democracy. The Judiciary should be independent and should not be influenced by any government branch. Courts should remain free from any influence to enable it to protect people’s freedom. Press is the most important medium people use to express their opinions in a democratic country. Press advocates for people right to speech and expression. The press and the judiciary are two institutions that complement each other because they preserve democratic values.
In a democratic society, press freedom plays a key role in the society because they check on the government. A free press highlights any social ill or wrongdoing in the public domain. Media raises voices against bad leadership, dictatorship, corruption and other malpractices. The press has an obligation to deliver accurate news to keep citizens updated on what is happening in the country. Freedom of the press is necessary, and its part of fulfilling democratic ideologies. The protection of freedom of the press is part of the provision in the Bill of Rights because it protects both the rights of the institution and individuals. The Bills of Rights not only protects the right of news reporters and the media houses, but also enables individuals to be free from unnecessary interference by the government as stipulated in the Constitution.
Accordingly, freedom of the judiciary is equally important because the Judiciary comprises of individuals tasked with the duty to discharge justice. Therefore, the fair trial needs to be exercised to protect the oppressed and to protect people’s rights. Judiciary freedom is important to protect citizens. Freedom of the judiciary is important for citizens to have confidence in the legal system and the government in addressing their concerns. To meet its legal objectives, the judiciary needs to be independent. Judges need protection because they work on behalf of the public, but not for their self-interest.
Judges are given the power to administer justice an also maintain public confidence in the justice system. In a democratic society, judges and the judiciary system needs to be impartial and independent from any external forces so that people who appear before them have faith in the system. An independent judiciary should judge people according to the law. Freedom of Judiciary means judges making decisions based on the evidence presented before them in court and according to the law. Relevant facts and laws should be applied to pass good judgment. Judges can discharge their constitutional duty of providing fair and impartial verdicts if they operate independently.
In several instances, the judges are called upon to hear disputes between citizens and the government; the judiciary needs to be impartial to deliver justice and protect its citizens. The judiciary can be independent of the government to ensure that civil rights are protected. A democratic society can only exist if both the press and the judiciary are free from any external interference. A society cannot flourish without free and independent press and judiciary because the two entities are indispensable to each other.
