Lawyers take to Twitter, Facebook

Tweet and post on legal and social issues, clarifying law, making it less distant

The law, a profession closed by jargon, training and pedigree of its practitioners to outsiders, where each line of a judgment needs interpretation, is opening itself up to the understanding of common people.

Some lawyers are not afraid to get out there and give an opinion -- through OB vans and TV studios earlier, but now via social media. And since their opinion is based on years of training and understanding of the law, it is respected, unlike that of a majority putting out opinions.

Yesterday, lawyer Vrinda Grover’s FB post, addressed to writers who have recently defended Tarun Tejpal, was shared 109 times.

In a strict castigation, Grover wrote: “No one who has taken a public or private position asking for justice for the young woman journalist and demanded a fair trial, not prejudiced or overawed by the campaign conducted by the Tarun Tejpal gang, has seen the CCTV footage. We are not supposed to see that footage because it reveals the identity of the woman journalist. That is the law. Can we leave some decisions to the court or does the English writing gliterrati want to usurp the role of the Court, much like the khap panchayats.”

Grover’s post came in response to a Manu Joseph article in Outlook and, another in The Citizen whose author is not known.

(The Network of Women in Media, India also protested against the articles. Read it here: http://www.nwmindia.org/articles/nwmi-protests-against-unethical-and-illegal-media-coverage-of-tehelka-case).

Just ain’t cricket

A week ago, with the IPL court case at its height, and the Supreme Court on the verge of ordering a stop to the tournament, lawyer Harish Salve, questioned Dhoni’s testimony to the Mudgal Committee in court.

Salve tweeted: “I have admired Dhoni's skills on the field. However possibly by error of judgment he not only took a job as Vice President in Ind Cement but he appeared before Mudgal comm (with Srini) and asserted that meiyapan had no connection with CSK. A cover up to save M is corruption”

The legal eagle has, in the past, put out tweets on where the Supreme Court erred in continuing with Section 377. Lawyer Karuna Nundy has regularly tweeted legal updates, as well as on issues such as the Womanifesto, an online campaign that urges voters to make political leaders aware of violence against women, and support their rights.

“@Allavaru toilets are in the Womanifesto already,” Nundy tweeted in response to a request this demand be included, as hoards of women defecate in the open, making them vulnerable to assault and infection.