Cameras in the courts: why the prohibition occurred in the UK

Authors

  • Stephen Mason

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14296/ac.v2012i91.2095

Keywords:

Conduct of court proceedings, Law reporting, Mass media and judicial power, cameras, United Kingdom

Abstract

At the turn of the twentieth century, the owners of newspapers quickly understood the significance of

truly portable cameras when they began to be manufactured. Photographers began to take photographs in courts, mainly for the purposes of publishing images of salacious trials and society gossip from the divorce courts. This article Stephen Mason (Barrister + IALS Associate Research Fellow) sets out why the taking of photographs was prohibited in courts in England & Wales in 1925 and outlines the recent decision by the Minister of Justice to permit the use of cameras in court.

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Author Biography

Stephen Mason

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Issue

Issue 91 (2012)

Section

Articles

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