Via the Guardian comes news that the Lord Chief Justice has launched a consultation on live reporting from court, following interim guidance issued in December 2010.
Submissions will be taken from February 7 to May 4 2011. It’s good to see them acknowledge the problem of defining the media – it’s about time this issue was properly addressed. Maybe this will put it on the agenda for future Contempt of Court discussions.
[I previously reported on Tweeting from court here]
It says:
“The central issue to be considered by this consultation, therefore, is how the courts should take account of these technological and cultural developments in reporting, in a way which protects freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial and maintains the statutory requirement that reports of legal proceedings must be fair, accurate and in good faith.”
Key questions:
1. Is there a legitimate demand for live, text based communications to be used from
the courtroom?
2. Under what circumstances should live, text based communications be permitted from the courtroom?
3. Are there any other risks which derive from the use of live, text based
communications from court?
4. How should the courts approach with the different risks to proceedings posed by
different platforms for live, text based communications from court?
5. How should permitting the use of live, text based communications from court be
reconciled with the prohibition against the use of mobile telephones in court?
6. Should the use of live, text based communications from court be principally for the use of the media? How should the media be defined? Should persons other than the accredited media be permitted to engage in live, text based communications from court?
Consultation doc embedded below:
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