Lawyers call for clarity on media court restrictions

NOTIFICATION: e-mail system would stop notices being lost

The Fleet Street Lawyers Society has stepped up its campaign to improve the notification of reporting restrictions in cases.

The society - the representative body for the legal departments of all major newspapers and television companies - has met and written to the head of media issues for the Crown Court and High Court, Lord Justice Judge, requesting better notification of reporting restrictions on court cases.

So far, there has been no response.

The society's chairman, Arthur Davidson QC, said: 'Usually, notices of injunctions and reporting restrictions are faxed over to the news editors of papers, and 99 times out of 100 that is fine.

However, faxes can just as easily be ignored or lost, and this leads to newspapers mistakenly printing information that leaves them in contempt of court.'

Mr Davidson highlighted the request for restrictions and injunctions to be e-mailed from solicitors' firms and government organisations to the media, as this 'minimised the risk of a problem'.

The lawyers also raised with Lord Justice Judge the possibility of lifting restrictions on journalists using tape recorders in court.

Michael Skrein, head of media at City firm Richards Butler, chaired the meeting and said: 'Both the issues are really about the accuracy of case reporting,' he said.

'If journalists are allowed to take notes in court, I don't see why they shouldn't use tape recorders if it ensures the best, most precise coverage.'

Mr Skrein added that Lord Justice Judge had seemed receptive to the ideas.

Andrew Towler