Maldon district: Cameras should cover courts, says MP (From Gazette)

Maldon district: Cameras should cover courts, says MP

8:40am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Maldon

MALDON’S MP began a debate in Parliament about broadcasting court proceedings.

Kicking off a discussion in Westminster Hall on Wednesday, John Whittingdale said that allowing cameras to record significant cases was “long overdue”.

During the debate, Mr Whittingdale - who is also chairman of the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport - said that allowing proceedings to be televised would be a “positive move for open justice and transparency”.

Referring to the recent Stephen Lawrence case, he said: “The fact that justice was finally done received huge coverage in the newspapers. It would have been even more powerful if the case had been broadcast and people had had the opportunity to see justice finally being done.”

Critics say that parties involved in cases would “play up to the cameras”.

The debate followed Ken Clarke’s announcement last year that the Government would like to see the televising of some court proceedings.

A pilot scheme had taken place in the Court of Appeal in 2005.