Technology: News channel transmits verbatim transcript of summing-up in retrial

As the Lord Chancellor last week moved towards ruling out the prospect of court trials being broadcast on television, Sky News adopted the latest technology to transmit a broadcasting first in the retrial of Sion Jenkins.


Sky transmitted a live and verbatim transcript of the summing-up in the case, and was planning to broadcast the verdict - expected this week - live using the technology. Mr Jenkins is a former deputy head teacher accused of murdering his foster daughter Billie-Jo.


While cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom, Sky News used technology provided by WordWave International to transmit the text of the summing-up on a split screen that also showed a news reporter standing outside the court building, providing commentary. The broadcast is the first time a live transmission of court stenography has been shown on UK television.


Sky News associate editor Simon Bucks said: 'Following several years of negotiations with the judiciary and the Department for Constitutional Affairs, we have now agreed a protocol allowing - at the discretion of the trial judge - live transmission of stenography from the opening and closing speeches, the summing-up and the verdicts, as well as a delayed transmission of witness evidence.


'This is the first time that such access has been granted in criminal proceedings and is a great leap forward for court reporting.'


A spokesman for WordWave International added: 'It does not look like the government will let cameras into the courtroom - so this is as near as you can get.


'We provide a live stenography feed direct to the broadcaster. Sky News has some intermediary software that converts it into a format that it can broadcast.'


Lord Falconer published responses to a public consultation on whether cameras should be allowed into the courtroom last week. He said: 'The consultation has provided a wide range of considered responses, often heartfelt from individuals and organisations. Their input has confirmed my very strong view that victims, witnesses and jurors should not be filmed.


'There remain powerful reasons and arguments for protecting them, and the justice process in general, from the impact of cameras and microphones in court. I am not announcing any further conclusions or proposals at this stage.'


Sky News and WordWave combined to provide a similar live transcript of the Osnabruck court martial in March (see [2005] Gazette, 3 March 10).