Bar & Bench has won the Justice Media Awards 2025 for Outstanding Legal Journalism in the organisation category..The awards are organised by the North Delhi Lawyers Association. .Special Correspondent Debayan Roy was awarded the Best Online Legal Journalist..Desk Editor Ratna Singh was awarded the Best Legal Reporter..The award ceremony took place on Friday evening and was attended by Justice Hemant Gupta, Chairperson of the India International Arbitration Centre and former Supreme Court judge; Justice Dr. Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court (Special Guest); Justice MM Kumar, Member of NHRC and former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and former Chairman, NCLT; PK Malhotra, former Law Secretary, Government of India; and Ashok Shrivastav, Senior Editor and Anchor, DD News..In his address, Justice Hemant Gupta voiced concern over the growing trend of sensationalism in legal reporting, noting that in the race for TRPs, some sections of electronic media often cross ethical lines. He cautioned that not all journalists understand the basics - that a police report is not conclusive, and guilt must be proven in a court of law. Recalling a remark by the late Ram Jethmalani, he said, “When asked why he was defending the accused, he replied—‘You’re relying on the police version, which is just the prosecution’s first step.’".Speaking on the theme “Bar, Bench, and News Reports: A Bridge Between Common Citizens,” Justice Gupta reflected on the transformation in legal reportage since he joined the profession in 1980. “Back then, commenting on pending matters was unacceptable,” he noted. Yet today, he relies on social media for accurate legal updates and has even sourced a petition from a reporter when court staff failed him. He recalled how a former Advocate General of Punjab was served notice based solely on a newspaper report. “When judges speak, they speak for the court, not for themselves. I may author a judgment, but it reflects the court’s view,” he said, underscoring the need for media to report with both responsibility and legal awareness..The event was organised under the leadership of the President of North Delhi Lawyers Association, Vineet Jindal.
