Myanmar to draft law to form court monitoring groups including media reps

Myanmar will draft a law to form court monitoring groups that will include media people, says the chairman of a parliamentary committee.

Thura Aung Ko, chairman of Lower House's Judicial Affairs Committee, revealed the plan during a meeting between Union Parliament speaker Thura Shwe Mann and judicial organizations in Yangon on Saturday.

He also said the law containing provisions to ban photo and video cameras in courts would be cancelled or amended.

The constitution has clearly said that court trials must take place before the public except the cases that could harm the dignity, peace and stability of the State, said Aung Ko.

"When asked why photo and video cameras could not be taken to courts, judges said there is a law which bans them. I will look for and submit that law to Parliament for amendments," he said.

With such a ban, Myanmar could have reached the status of 50 or 100 years back, he commented.

The formation of court monitoring groups does not mean interfering with the judicial process and it is just for record, he said. The groups will include law experts as well as media and town elders.

"In mature democratic countries like in the Europe, judges and lawyers have no more subjected to bribery and corruption. They will not lose their dignity in exchange for 100 million dollars. So, it is not necessary to monitor their courts. Myanmar needs them," said Thura Aung Ko. — By arrangement with Daily Eleven/ANN

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