ABSTRACT
The public consumes the Medias reports of court cases with horror or indignation at deeds or scenes described, and may gain satisfaction from justice being done when a criminal is convicted and jailed, perhaps for life. By reporting from the courts the media enable society to enjoy the benefits of open justice. When making day-to-day decisions on which court hearings to cover, news editors rarely feel any duty to uphold the open justice principle. Defamation law, too, specifies that media reports of court cases must be fair and accurate. The national council for the training of journalists sets a standard of 100 words per minute shorthand for journalism trainees. The contempt of court act 1981 bans the use of audio-recorders in court in most circumstances. The legal and ethical principles of reporting from the criminal courts apply, in the main, to coverage of other types of court for example, coroner's courts, the civil courts and family courts.
