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Unreliable Evidence

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Crime & Justice

Series exploring and analysing the legal issues of the day

Unreliable Evidence: Reporting The Law

26/10/2011

Reporting The Law

BBC Radio 4 - Unreliable Evidence, Reporting The Law

How press coverage of court cases can result in trial by media.

Clive Anderson and top legal experts discuss how press coverage of court cases can result in trial by media and jeopardise defendants' rights to be presumed innocent.

Clive Anderson and some of the country's top lawyers and judges discuss legal issues of the day. 

The second programme in the series explores growing concerns that press coverage of the judicial process is out of control, resulting in trial by media and a threat to the defendant's right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

Guests include the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, who is responsible for initiating contempt of court proceedings against the media and has successfully prosecuted several national newspapers this year.

Challenged to take action more frequently, he says he is reluctant to act in a way which would inhibit freedom of speech, but says that if newspapers flagrantly disregard the law he would be forced to consider introducing tougher laws. 

The other guests are Old Bailey judge Peter Rook, leading barrister Desmond Browne QC and Gill Phillips, a senior lawyer in the legal department of the Guardian.


Producer: Brian King
An Above The Title production for BBC Radio 4.

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