Tag Archives: Joshua Rozenberg

BBC Radio 4 Blog: Joshua Rozenberg on photography and the law

A quick link for a lunchtime listen, if you have the time. The first episode of BBC Radio 4’s new series of Law in Action looks at photography in the law: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/2010/06/photography_and_the_law.html.

As an accompaniment, check out a Radio 4 blog post by its presenter, Joshua Rozenberg, in which he describes his own near encounter with section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. When Rozenberg and his producer (and the photographer they were following) were challenged outside a building, they chose to move away rather than risk being searched.

I have managed to reach the age of 60 without troubling the police over any more than a couple of minor motoring matters. Did I really want my name linked to anti-terrorist searches on a police computer somewhere?

Full post at this link…

Scotsman.com: TV cameras to be allowed in UK Supreme Court

Justice Secretary Jack Straw told parliament yesterday that judgments from the soon-to-be-created UK Supreme Court could be televised.

The proposals were anticipated by media law commentator Joshua Rozenberg’s thoughts on the Supreme Court in his interview with Journalism.co.uk.

Full story at this link…

‘Accredited media’ not yet defined, Ministry of Justice tells Journalism.co.uk

UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw’s proposals to ‘lift the veil,’ and open family courts to the media, bring with them a range of issues, as discussed by the Telegraph’s Joshua Rozenberg.

One of which is the question of what defines the category of ‘accredited media’? Will it include online-only publications, for example?

Journalism.co.uk rang the Ministry of Justice to find out what will constitute ‘accredited media’. A spokesperson said it is currently ‘being decided’ and will be announced ‘once rules are finally agreed’. “It is part of the decision making process,” he said.

What’s the time-frame? Journalism.co.uk asked. Along with other parts of the proposal, final rules will be established by April 2009, the ministry spokesperson said.

As Rozenberg commented, this is a significant part of the proposals. Rozenberg wrote:

” … Mr Straw does not seem to have given enough thought to what constitutes the modern media.

“If I decide to write about legal affairs on my own website, am I a freelance journalist who should be allowed access to the courts or a blogger who should not? And who is to decide?

“Mr Straw’s officials pointed out that press seats at criminal trials are allocated by court officials. But those denied such seats can usually attend as members of the public. That option would not be available here.

“Journalism is not a profession, in the sense of an occupation with controlled entry such as law or architecture. Anyone can call himself or herself a journalist. It is therefore essential that the final decision on who may attend the family courts as a journalist is one for the courts themselves, not officials.”

(Hat tip to Jon Slattery, who also flagged up the issues on his blog.)