New guidelines on reporting restrictions published

Joint publication by Judicial Studies Board and media

Updated guidelines on the circumstances in which reporting restrictions may be imposed in criminal cases have been published by the Judicial Studies Board, in collaboration with the media.

 
Guidance for lawyers, judges, magistrates and journalists on reporting restrictions and open justice in criminal cases was first published in 2000. Since then, there have been a number of changes in the law including the introduction of anti-social behaviour orders and around the reporting of cases involving sexual offences. The new JSB guidelines have been updated to include all relevant developments since 2000 and bring together separate guidance for Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts in one publication. 
 
The guidelines are published by the JSB, The Society of Editors, the Newspaper Society and Times Newspapers Ltd. In his introduced to the 2009 Guidelines The Lord Chief Justice said:

‘Our objective was to ensure that those with a professional interest in the making of orders restricting reports of legal proceedings should have access to a modern, practical guide to the statutory and common law principles which should be applied.’

Links

• Reporting Restrictions in the Criminal Courts – Judicial Studies Board