Lecture: Contempt of court and modern media Event

It is trite to say that modern media has already transformed diverse legal fields. But this process is only at its inception in the context of the rules on contempt of court, as the challenges are now gradually creeping from the woodwork. Jurors are communicating with defendants during trial, and even researching their cases on the web beforehand, raising new and novel concerns for the right to fair trial.

This is compounded by the fact that prejudicial publications concerning defendants from many years prior are now only a few clicks away, which simultaneously raises concerns that publishers and distributors will be held strictly liable for contempt of court. The time is therefore ripe for a review of the rules relating to contempt, and the Law Commission is in the final stages of making their recommendations in this regard.