Ontario Appeal Court Webcasts Begin

Webcasting of proceedings in front of the Ontario Court of Appeal finally got underway on Friday, September 7, 2007:

"Certain proceedings in Courtroom #1 at the Court of Appeal will be recorded and streamed live on the Court's Internet website at www.ontariocourts.on.ca/appeal.htm. DVD copies of recorded proceedings will be distributed to accredited media twice per day on request. They will also be available for use by journalism and law schools and other organizations for educational and training purposes. An audio feed box for reporters is available if audio recordings of proceedings are required. Recorded proceedings will be archived on the Court's website for 90 days to ensure round-the-clock public access."

Live streaming of the proceedings was one of the recommendations of the Panel on Justice and the Media that reported to the Attorney General of the province in August 2006 (see the August 24, 2006 Library Boy post entitled Report on TV Cameras in Ontario Courtrooms).

Earlier Library Boy postings on media access to the courts include:

• UK Courts to Accept TV Cameras (November 14, 2006): "The British media is reporting that civil and criminal trials in the UK may soon be televised. According to the Nov. 13, 2006 Reuters article Courtroom TV could be a step nearer, '(P)roposals that could lead to television cameras being installed in courts could soon be set out by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, head of the judiciary. A five-week pilot was started in Nov 2004 in the Court of Appeal in the Royal Courts of Justice in London and the consultation process was completed in the summer of 2005'."
• Report on Televising U.S. Supreme Court and Other Federal Court Proceedings (November 29, 2006): "The Federation of American Scientists has made available on its website a report by the Congressional Research Service entitled Televising Supreme Court and Other Federal Court Proceedings: Legislation and Issues (...) 'This report also discusses the arguments that have been presented by proponents and opponents of electronic media coverage of federal court proceedings, including the possible effect on judicial proceedings, separation of powers concerns, the purported educational value of such coverage, and possible security and privacy concerns. Finally, the report discuses the various options Congress may address as it considers legislation, including which courts should be covered, whether media coverage should be authorized or required, possible security and privacy safeguards, and the type of media coverage that would be permitted'. "
• Maryland Appeals Court to Webcast (December 1, 2006): "The Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state, will provide live webcasts of its proceedings, 'hoping to be ready in time to broadcast arguments set for Dec. 4 in a high-profile case involving gay marriage,' according to an Associated Press agency story reprinted in the Houston Chronicle on Nov. 27, 2006. Maryland will thus join other U.S. states. The newspaper story explains that '(A)bout half of the appellate state courts (...) allow coverage of hearings on the Web or on cable channels'."
• U.S. Judiciary To Make Court Proceeding Recordings Available Online (March 19, 2007): "The legal news site JURIST is reporting that the Judicial Conference of the United States has approved a pilot program to make free audio recordings of court proceedings available online."
• Webcasting of Ontario Court Proceedings To Start Soon (May 27, 2007): "At the end of last week, the Ontario Attorney General's office announced it was going forward with certain recommendations of the Panel on Justice and the Media, including the live streaming of some proceedings of the Court of Appeal for Ontario..."
• Michigan Symposium on TV in the U.S. Supreme Court (June 23, 2007): "First Impressions, an online companion to the Michigan Law Review, has just published an 'Online Symposium on Televising the Supreme Court' (...) A diverse panel of authors explores the implications of the prospective legislation [to allow live broadcasts of U.S. Supreme Court hearings] and considers potential costs and benefits of televising the Court’s proceedings."