Few weeks ago I wrote a column about a surreptitious attempt to impose a draconian regulatory regime on TV, cable, satellite and mobile broadcasting. A post in this blog discussed the implications for convergence. There was also a high-profile Sinhala language op-ed that contributed to framing the ensuing debate in relation to a 1997 Supreme Court decision and the recent cancellation of a radio license (rescinded when the owners joined the government party).

Now the Supreme Court has stayed the regulation. A victory, I guess. Congratulations to the litigants, who turned back yet another assault on media freedom. But . . . the Supreme Court is dispensing a strange kind of justice these days. When decisions are to our liking I guess it’s natural not to ask how they were arrived at. But I am thinking about how to write about this fundamental issue, building on a recent column.