Top UK judge gives nod to Twitter use in court

There is no statutory ban on the use of Twitter in courts and the use of unobtrusive, silent equipment for live text updates is unlikely to interfere with the proper administration of justice, the UK's top judge said today.

Top UK judge gives nod to Twitter use in court

There is no statutory ban on the use of Twitter in courts and the use of unobtrusive, silent equipment for live text updates is unlikely to interfere with the proper administration of justice, the UK's top judge said today.

But the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, warned that the danger was “at its most acute in the context of criminal trials”.

He added that the court “must be satisfied that its use does not pose a danger of interference to the proper administration of justice in the individual case”.

The announcement that today's judgement would be made was made last Thursday - hours after supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were banned from posting updates from court while a High Court judge decided whether he should be granted bail.

Mr Justice Ouseley, who went on to give Mr Assange conditional bail that day, ruled at the start of the proceedings that supporters and journalists should not send Tweets to give a blow-by-blow account of what was happening.

At an earlier bail hearing, District Judge Howard Riddle had allowed Tweeting from City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court, which some commentators proclaimed as a legal first.

He said journalists could send messages as long as they were discreet and did not interfere with the judicial process.

Last week the judicial communications office said Lord Judge would issue new guidance for all courts at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today.

A spokeswoman said he “will issue interim guidance on the use of Twitter and electronic devices for the purpose of reporting court proceedings pending the conclusion of a consultation process”.

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