Court Reporting

Apologies to all my blogging fans for the somewhat delayed blog this week, I have let you all down and endeavour to make up for my wrongdoings. My main intention is to cover the Media Law lecture and HCJ seminar (both on Tuesday), one of which I had to deliver my seminar paper to Group A (or as Jakey Gable calls us "The A-Team") and our forever-amusing leader, Mr Chris Horrie.
Our second lecture was on reporting of the courts (obvious by the title), and included lots of various information regrading the different types of courts that our astound country has to hold. But first, we were introduced the basic legal principles. These being:

1. Presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt
2. Justice seen to be done-accusation of law-breaking must stand up in court
3. Evidence based-Right to have evidence tested by an independent jury of fellow citizens (Magna Carta)

In the absence of a written constitution, freedom of speech has depended upon the two main constitutional bulworks, and these are: jury trial, and prior restraint rule. Chris also mentioned the judge's role and it is very largely to 'arbitrate on admissibility of evidence and advise on points of law and procedure'. Over my many years of education I have rather been known as Mr Information than Mr Explanation, and already I am starting to feel this court blog is doing exactly the same. But without information, how can everybody learn and refer to the mountain of notes throughout our prestigious bible 'Mcnae's essential law for journalists' and the detailed passages of our lecturers.
One thing that caught my extreme attention during Tuesday morning's lecture was the function of each court and which type of people and cases they deal with. Criminal courts deal with the whole community, whereas civil courts only settle individual disputes. Magistrates and Crown courts deal with criminal law offences but their functions differ from one another.

Crown Court functions are:

• to try arrestable offences sent for trial by magistrates
• to deal with cases sent for sentence
• to hear appeals

Magistrates Courts' civil functions deal with:

• Family matters, such as husband and wife. This is where the media are largely omitted.
• Divorce matters where there are restrictions on reporting
• Child Welfare matters have same principle for the press as divorce.
  

No details of an actual court case may be reported, apart from names, ages, address, occupations, charges, names of the counsel, and the date and place of the Crown Court hearing.
Media Law is an interesting topic. It is currently requiring lots of attention and focus, as my fellow students all know. However, after weeks of knowledge on law I feel positive that we will gain a sense of experience on the topic and journalism as a whole. In the words of Sheila on Friday after our shorthand lecture, "It will take time, but once you grasp it, it's so good to have". To my fellow students, remember to keep 'plugging' away. And eventually it will happen it will click. One person you have to look at for evidence is my dear friend Jake Gable. He keeps plugging away at pool against me, but he has got nowhere. He is losing 7-0 (Haha!) However, his time will come, he may pull one or even two sets back if he is lucky.
Enough of the jokes and the banter, the serious message I'm trying to get across here is that we have to try. Any difficulties then we ask for help. Over the next three years we have to act like a team in order to succeed.