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What is the court and justice beat?
Court reporting is one of the oldest and most constitutionally important functions of journalism. Open justice — the principle that justice must be seen to be done — depends on the press attending and reporting court proceedings. UK court reporters work across magistrates’ courts (where 95% of criminal cases are heard), Crown Courts (for indictable offences), civil courts, coroner’s courts (inquests), and the family courts.
The justice beat extends beyond individual cases to cover the prison service, probation, the parole system, the Crown Prosecution Service, criminal defence policy, and the criminal courts themselves as institutions. Justice reporters who understand the system — its funding pressures, backlogs, and structural inequalities — can produce journalism that goes well beyond trial coverage.
Why court reporting matters
- 1Open justice is a constitutional principle — press coverage of courts is the mechanism that makes it real.
- 2Court reporting has exposed wrongful convictions, police fabrications, and prosecutorial misconduct.
- 3The Crown Court backlog — over 70,000 cases in England and Wales — is a story in itself, with profound impacts on victims and defendants.
- 4Family court reporting reforms (from 2023 onwards) have opened previously opaque proceedings to greater scrutiny.
- 5Inquests can expose systemic failures in public services — the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Manchester Arena Inquiry are examples.
Core legal and ethical risks
Contempt of Court Act 1981 — strict liability
Publishing anything that creates a substantial risk of serious prejudice to active proceedings is contempt. The test is objective — it does not matter whether you intended to prejudice the proceedings. Common pitfalls: publishing an accused person's previous convictions while a trial is pending; publishing evidence that has been ruled inadmissible; publishing details of a jury's deliberations.
Section 4(2) orders — postponement
Courts can order postponement of publication under s.4(2) Contempt of Court Act 1981 to avoid prejudice to current or pending proceedings. Note the terms carefully — an order may postpone publication of specific details, or all reporting of proceedings, until a specified event (e.g. conclusion of linked proceedings).
Section 11 orders — withholding names
Courts can withhold names from public court records and prohibit publication. Section 11 is used for witnesses whose safety may be at risk, undercover officers, informants, and (in exceptional cases) defendants. Challenge orders you believe are disproportionate — they require judicial justification.
Youth anonymity — s.49 CYPA 1933
Defendants under 18 in youth court have automatic anonymity under s.49 Children and Young Persons Act 1933. In the Crown Court, courts can grant anonymity under s.45 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, but it is not automatic. Never identify a young defendant without confirming no order exists.
Family court reporting
Family proceedings have historically been held in private. Since 2023 accredited journalists may attend and report, subject to restrictions on identifying parties and children. The rules are complex — consult the Family Proceedings Rules and any specific court guidance before publishing details of family cases.
Jigsaw identification
In sexual offence cases, victim anonymity is absolute under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992. 'Jigsaw identification' — where combining multiple permitted pieces of information would identify a protected individual — is a breach even if no single published piece identifies them. Work carefully when multiple outlets cover the same case.
See also: Contempt of Court guide | Defamation risk checklist
Key data sources and resources
FOI ideas for court reporters
- Number of Crown Court cases outstanding and average wait time from charge to first hearing, by court centre (HMCTS)
- Number of cases that have collapsed due to disclosure failures in each CPS area
- Number of legal aid providers in your area — has the number increased or decreased over the past decade? (Legal Aid Agency)
- Cost of interpreters in Crown Court proceedings — which languages are most in demand?
- HMCTS spend on IT systems vs the court backlog — are digital investments reducing delay?
- Number of prosecutions that have been discontinued due to lost evidence (police forces)
- Parole Board decisions — how many high-risk offenders were refused release and why? (Parole Board annual report)
Key organisations and contacts
Interview question bank
For Barristers and solicitors (after proceedings)
- Can you explain the significance of today's ruling in plain language?
- What options does your client have from here?
- Why did the defence choose to run the case in this way?
- What does this outcome say about the current state of the law?
For Court clerks and HMCTS officials
- When will the court list for next week be published?
- Is this hearing listed in public or in private?
- Has a reporting restriction order been made — can I see a copy?
- Who do I contact to request media access to this hearing?
For Legal commentators and academics
- What precedent does this judgment set?
- Is the Court of Appeal likely to take a different view?
- How does this fit with the direction of travel in case law?
- What does this mean for similar cases going forward?
Jargon glossary
Story ideas and angles
- 1.How long does a Crown Court case take in your area from charge to verdict? FOI the data and map the variation.
- 2.How many trials have collapsed in your Crown Court due to disclosure failures — and what did the CPS say?
- 3.Profile the legal aid crisis: how many firms in your area still do criminal legal aid? What happened to the ones that stopped?
- 4.Inquest verdicts: what systemic failures in your area have coroners found in the past three years?
- 5.Family court reporting — sit in on a public family hearing and report what the new transparency regime looks like in practice.
- 6.Interview a duty solicitor about conditions in the custody suite and what they observe about how defendants are processed.
- 7.Track a Crown Court backlog case from charge to conclusion — diary-style coverage over months.
Pitch angles
System failure: “Victims in [area] are waiting an average of 26 months for their cases to reach trial. We traced what that delay means in practice.”
Accountability: “The jury found him not guilty — but the judge’s summing-up may be the subject of a CCRC review. We explain why.”
Transparency: “We attended the first family court hearing open to the press in [town]. Here is what we saw.”
Data-led: “Legal aid deserts: only three firms in [county] still offer criminal legal aid. What happens when there is no one to represent you?”
Recommended tools
Related guides
Primary sources
- Contempt of Court Act 1981 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Defamation Act 1996 s.14 — absolute privilege (legislation.gov.uk)
- Lord Judge guidance on live text-based communications (Judiciary, 2011)
- Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s.49 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 (legislation.gov.uk)
- BAILII — case law database
- Judicial College — Crown Court Compendium (judicial directions for juries)