Supreme Court Declares Media Confessions in Police Custody Inadmissible

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared that any confession made by a suspect to the media while in police custody is not admissible as evidence in court. The judgment, authored by Justice Athar Minallah and spanning 25 pages, led to the acquittal of a man previously sentenced to death in a high-profile child murder case in Karachi. The court emphasized that for a confession to be legally valid, it must be recorded before a magistrate. It expressed serious concern over the practice of law enforcement allowing journalists access to suspects under physical remand, as happened in this case where a selectively edited interview was aired on television. Highlighting the dangers of media influence on public perception and judicial outcomes, the court warned against the unchecked rise of media trials, especially in a society where free speech is often constrained. The judgement called for strict adherence to journalistic ethics and directed that its findings be shared with key government bodies including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Information, PEMRA, and all provincial administrations to ensure compliance. The verdict ultimately overturned earlier convictions by the trial and high courts, which had relied heavily on the suspect’s televised confession.