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Courts bring in ban on tweeting about trials from courtroom

Courts bring in ban on tweeting about trials from courtroom

From today, members of the public will no longer be allowed to tweet about a trial from the courtroom.

The Chief Justice has announced new guidelines in relation to social media use in the public gallery while a trial is in session.

Using Twitter and other social media platforms has brought court proceedings to a much wider audience, and that is to be welcomed. However, it is not without its potential pitfalls.

An accused person is entitled to a fair trial and court reporters must abide by certain strict rules to ensure that right is protected throughout.

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To eliminate the risk of a member of the public tweeting or publishing something online that may prejudice a trial, the Chief Justice Frank Clarke has today announced a ban on anyone other than bona fide members of the press and lawyers from using social media, or text messaging in any form, in courtrooms.

File photo.

In a speech earlier, he said the potential for unregulated social media to have an impact on the fairness of the trial process itself is a legitimate and particular concern on the judiciary.

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