SOCIAL MEDIA TRIALS: A PARALLEL COURT WITHOUT JUDICIAL SAFEGUARDS

Abstract

Democracy consists of three pillars: executive, legislative, and judiciary. There also exists another pillar, which is the media. In the modern age of digitalization, social media has also become an integral part of mainstream media, as it plays a pivotal role in forming public opinion. Social media, as an epitome of free speech, is often weaponized to hold trials that do not follow the principles of justice, equity, and good conscience, operating with minimal restrictions. In the absence of an appropriate authority to adjudicate, it becomes the judge, jury, and executioner. The adverse opinions harbour for an endless time within the internet grid as digital footprints waiting to be reincarnated again, even after proper adjudication. Social media not only poses a great threat to individual dignity but also puts into question the judicial independence and principles of natural justice by forming blatant criticisms of the judicial mechanism of a country. Uninformed public opinion often uses and turns social media into a weapon of destruction, transforming the boon into a curse. The present study undertakes a socio-legal analysis of rising incidents of social media outrage as a threat to justice delivery and public morality. The purpose of the study is to analyse the rising incidents of social media outrage as a threat to the justice system and public morality. Using a cross-sectional analysis, this study relied on secondary evidence and empirical insights to analyse several academic works and recent incidents, along with a judicial approach, in light of the constitutional framework and legal provisions, investigating the problem from a socio-legal perspective. This study concludes that though unchecked social media trials pose significant challenges to the justice system, a balanced framework safeguarding both fundamental rights and democratic discourse of fair trial is necessary.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.65525/SVUP.9788199328655.2026.37-46