Journalists are to come under the protection of the People's Courts in Yunnan. Their freedom to pursue their legitimate role in promoting the cause of public accountability will be guaranteed by the courts at all levels. The news came in a recent announcement by Zhao Shijie, president of the Higher People's Court of Yunnan Province.

Journalists will be backed by judicial protection in six key areas:

• People's Courts will protect reporters who meet with abuse or whose human rights come under attack when they are going about their lawful business of gathering news or providing news coverage. Those who violate these rights can expect prosecution followed by punishment according to the law if found guilty.

• If journalists are obstructed by the tactics of whitewash and cover-up, the People's Courts will uphold their investigative rights to gather news.

• People's Courts will protect the legitimate rights and interests of both media organizations and individual journalists.

• In the event of a legal dispute between a media organization and a party whose actions have been publicly exposed by that organization, the People's Courts will seek a resolution of the dispute through mediation. The outcome will be impartial and based in law, and the media organization will have a right to have its reputation protected.

• If journalists are subjected to false accusations as they carry out their role of investigating and reporting, the People's Courts will protect their legitimate rights and interests.

• People's Courts at all levels will work proactively with journalists to support them in covering the work of the courts especially where administration of justice is concerned. Obstacles to routine reportage will be removed.

Zhao Shijie spoke of the differences in approach taken by the press and the judicial system. They work in different ways and may well apply different criteria in reaching a view on the rights and wrongs of a particular case. What's more, different journalists may report the same case quite differently.

Therefore the time has come for both the People's Courts and the media to work towards establishing a proper balance between the needs of the Press and those of an independent system of justice.

A green channel' is to be introduced in People's Courts at all levels in Yunnan Province. This will facilitate press coverage of the work of the courts themselves. When journalists encounter problems they will now have access to a new mechanism for raising their concerns or making suggestions. The courts will consider these and respond within a prescribed time.

(China.org.cn translated by Zhang Tingting on June 23, 2003)