Courtroom capers
The Lord Chief Justice has approved the use of Twitter for court reporting, following Julian Assange's bail hearing last week where Tweets were first allowed.
The decision marks a major shake-up for the way journalists report court cases as they are now allowed to use Twitter, text and email to get news out of the courtroom, although this will be banned in specific cases if there is any danger that social media commentary could influence witnesses.
A handful of journalists and information campaigners were given permission by the chief magistrate in the Assange bail hearing last week to send the mini messages as long as they were careful not to disturb the court, making legal history.
Media types and journos can now apply for permission to use social media tools to report the news on a case-by-case basis, according to interim guidance on the use of social media in court.
"The use of an unobtrusive, hand held, virtually silent piece of modern equipment for the purposes of simultaneous reporting of proceedings to the outside world as they unfold in court is generally unlikely to interfere with the proper administration of justice," according to lord Justice.
However, it is not thought that anyone will be able to while away time in court on Twitter and the like, to stop "the potential for electronic interference with the court's own sound recording equipment, or because the widespread use of such devices in court may cause a distraction in the proceedings," he added.
The guidance also said that if court proceedings are disrupted by the use of social media, permission for using it will be withdrawn.
The judge set out the guidance note pending a public consultation where the judiciary, lawyers, prosecutors, media and members of the public can rubber stamp the rules, which are in use in England and Wales immediately.
It is not the first time the Lord Chief Justice has contemplated the use of social media in courtroom reporting, as in a lecture from Belfast just last month, he reportedly questioned whether reporting restrictions should be eased.
"If it is possible to file a story via email from a laptop in court, then why is Twitter any different? Why is Twitter in the form of text-based transmission of material from court any different?" he said.
