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.
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.
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.
