Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Open Rights Group | Tweeting Allowed in UK Supreme Court

Tweeting Allowed in UK Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has issued new guidance on tweeting in the Court. In a press release published today the Court stated that given that cases in the  Supreme Court ‘do not involve interaction with witnesses or jurors, and because there is rarely any reason why what is said in court should not be placed immediately in the public domain, the Justices of the Supreme Court are content with legal teams, journalists and members of the public communicating to the outside word what is happening in the courtroom.’ 

However, tweeting will not be allowed in cases where there are formal reporting restrictions or in ‘cases involving the welfare of a child, and cases where publication of proceedings might prejudice a pending jury trial.’ Lord Phillips stated that ‘an undoubted benefit is that regular updates can be shared with many people outside the court, in real time, which can enhance public interest in the progress of a case and keep those who are interested better informed.’

Read more: http://ukscblog.com/tweeting-allowed-in-supreme-court