Some 33 serious criminal cases have been filmed and broadcast since camera crews were first allowed into the crown courts one year ago.
Only the judge’s sentencing remarks can be filmed, so as to protect the privacy of victims, witnesses and jurors. Live broadcasts are aired with a short delay to account for reporting restrictions.
Parliament is now consulting on whether to expand filming to include Court of Appeal judges sitting in the crown court. The Ministry of Justice consultation, ‘Open justice: the way forward’, is open until 7 September.
Justice minister Mike Freer said the broadcasts ‘allowed the public to see justice being done in their courts and to understand the complex decisions judges make, building confidence in the justice system’.
John Battle, ITN’s head of legal, said filming ‘has swiftly become the norm’.
