As of next month, live broadcasts of legal arguments and final judgements in criminal and civil cases in the Court of Appeal will be allowed after ministers gave the move their final approval earlier this week. However, victims, witnesses, jurors and defendants will not be filmed.
Filming in English and Welsh courts was banned in 1925, although cases can be filmed in Scotland as long as all parties have agreed. However the Scottish Parliament has not yet moved to legislate to allow live broadcasting.
Rulings from the Supreme Court, the final court of appeal for all UK civil cases, and criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, are already streamed live on the internet and recorded for later transmission on news outlets.
Commenting on the decision, Court Minister Helen Grant said that justice must be seen to be done and added that the Government is opening up the court process to allow people to see and hear the judges’ decisions in their own words.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said that there are also plans to extend the scheme to allow the transmission of sentencing remarks in the Crown Court but, similarly, victims, witnesses, offenders and jurors will not be part of broadcasts.
The costs of broadcasting will be covered by media organisations. Decisions as to exactly which cases are broadcast will be subject to necessary judicial checks, including where it would not be in the interests of justice to broadcast footage or would cause undue prejudice to any party.
According to the MoJ, members of the House of Lords will have the chance to debate the legislation before it comes into effect in October.