NSW to allow TV cameras in court
NSW will introduce legislation to allow TV cameras into Court to film verdicts and sentences in criminal cases.
- Published by David Knox
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Calling Cleaver Greene and Janet King to the bar…
The NSW Government wants to allow television cameras into the NSW Supreme Court to film verdicts and sentences in criminal cases.
It will introduce legislation in Parliament later this year, that will create a presumption in favour of allowing filming and broadcasting for final proceedings. This will help “demystify the court process” and “increase the transparency of the decision-making” of judges, Attorney-General, Greg Smith said.
Cameras have already been allowed in court for a few high-profile cases, including Gordon Wood’s successful appeal against his conviction for the murder of Caroline Byrne, and the sentencing of Keli Lane for the murder of her baby, Tegan.
“It may open up into streaming, even of evidence, but at this stage we are limiting it to the remarks on sentence and verdicts,” he said.
But filming of jurors, protected witnesses or victims would remain prohibited.
Smith says he does not think allowing more TV cameras into courtrooms will turn proceedings into a theatrical circus or undermine the tone of proceedings.
“I’m not concerned about that really,” he said.
“I think that proceedings of criminal courts are very serious and I don’t think that opening up to filming is doing any more than allowing journalists for example to use twitter and SMS. I can’t see it becoming a circus.”
While American states already allow cameras in court, NSW will be the first state in Australia to introduce this type of legislation.
One Response
About time. The farcical coverage of the Daniel Morcombe verdict (where Nine and Seven had a reporter with a mobile phone outside the court repeating every thing that judge said) should be evidence enough that this is needed.