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The rate and the diversity of crime have been increasing in Sri Lanka over the past few decades. A Judicial Medical
Officer (JMO) plays a pivotal role in the criminal investigative process. JMOs also frequently involve with civil
cases of public interest. The media tend to report on any matter either civil or criminal, in an elaborate and overemphasized manner to draw the public attention. In this context, a loquacious JMO would be a much preferred target
by the media. Sociologists and criminal psychologists widely discuss the short-term and long-term positive and
negative impacts of crime-reporting by the media upon the society. The media, criminal investigators (including the
JMO), the suspects and the society are the four corner-stones of this dialogue with their own rights, ethics and legal
obligations. For example, today‘s society expects to be swiftly updated with accurate and comprehensive
information by different modalities of media under the principles of ―public interest‖ and ―right to know‖. The
media has its own rights to gather information. The JMO should thoroughly understand the obligations, rights and
limitations of the media and should try his best to maintain a fine balance with the ―invasion‖ of media so as to
prevent any injustice to his own reputation and to the interests of the victim, suspect, the public as well as the
criminal justice system of the country. The JMO is principally accountable to the investigative authorities or to the
courts. He is not a public figure or a celebrity to be highlighted while performing his lawful duties. It is timely that
the medico-legal experts in Sri Lanka create a dialogue as to how they should interact with the intrusions of the
media
