Journalism director calls for court reforms to prevent the decline of open justice

Richard Jones, Director of Journalism, Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Salford, has called for more protections and greater freedoms for journalists within courts to ensure the hallowed practice of court reporting remains viable.

He makes a series of new recommendations in his new book, Reporting The Courts. It explores the precarious future of court reporting and highlights the acute financial pressures local press companies are facing, while showing how continuing courts coverage challenges claims of a decline in the quality of local media.

Through analysis undertaken for the book, Richard identified that outlets such as the Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Echo continue to publish an average of seven court stories per day, most based on in-person reporting from the respective cities’ crown and magistrates’ courts.

His recommendations for the future of court reporting include;

• Making it easier for journalists to take photos and make audio recordings within courtrooms
• Mandating all UK courts to provide a press room for journalists to prevent them having to work alongside defendants and lawyers
• Improving access to remote video hearings for journalists and for courts to provide more consistent, regularly updated information to the media, including decisions made under the Single Justice Procedure.

Richard said: “Court reporting represents the best traditions of local journalism, scrutinising the work of the criminal justice system in depth in a style accessible to a broad readership.

“The work of the court reporter is even more valuable in an era when the financial squeeze on journalism has had impacts elsewhere, as slashed newsdesk budgets make it harder for agencies and freelancers to sustain themselves on court copy alone.

“But I’m worried unless we make it easier for newspaper and other court reporters to do their jobs, the more routine coverage we still have of cases large and small might wither away.

“Without them, open justice would become virtually closed, and we would be left with one-sided accounts provided by occasional police press releases.”

Richard outlines in his book how the photography ban in courts in England and Wales dates from the Criminal Justice Act 1925 – before television even existed – and is not fit for purpose in 2024. He praises how the filming of sentencing remarks in some cases since 2022 has led to widespread national coverage, because it has allowed judges to explain their decisions directly to the public.

He outlines how podcasting has been a critical medium in recent years as journalists use voice actors to bring the courtroom to life. Richard also argues the decision to outlaw sound broadcasting of criminal cases is also outdated and is based on old fashioned concerns about the noise of clunky tape recorders.

Richard added: “Politicians, judges, legal figures – and yes, editors too – often talk a good game about open justice. It’s time to take steps to help make sure our press benches don’t empty any further.”

Reporting The Courts, published by Routledge, is available to purchase now.