Introduction: Media and the Courts

 

Media and the courts, good or bad idea?

When I first asked myself this question I did not have a straight answer. For there is a part of me that would say yes television cameras should be allowed to film during trials that would have a profound impact on the country and the community. However, there was also the thought in the back of my mind that made me fear what would come of it.

Today our generation is filled with technology and on any given day we could look around at our peers and see the affect this has had on all of us in some way or another. It does not matter where we are anymore, with Wi-Fi hotspots all over town and in our favourite coffee shops; everything is disposable to us at our fingertips. I wondered if being able to view on our cellphones, TVs, and tablet a trial about a murder, or a sexual assault case would have a bad or normal effect on us. Then I thought who is to say what is normal or not normal?

I then began to think about the law aspect of this all. There is private law which outlines the rights and responsibilities of private individuals and organizations. Then there is public law that controls the relationship between the government and the people. This represents laws that apply to all individuals. I then concluded that people have a wright to know what is going on around them, and special information comes out in evidence in court that for some people may be helpful for whatever reason.

Of course private law really has no effect on the public. What happens between two individuals or an individual and an organization is personal. When someone commits a criminal offence it affects a lot more than just the community surrounding the incident. This is why I decided that yes depending on the case and the evidence brought forward, people should have partial if not full disclosure of what criminals are doing in our communities and our country.