Family Law

Television cameras will be allowed to broadcast from Crown Courts in England and Wales for the first time, following draft legislation due to be laid by the government on 16 January.

The Crown Court (Recording and Broadcasting) Order 2020 will allow cameras to broadcast the sentencing remarks of High Court and Senior Circuit judges in some of the most high-profile courts across the country, including the Old Bailey.

Proceedings are currently broadcast from certain Court of Appeal cases. Extending this to the Crown Court means the public will be able to hear judges explain the reasons behind their sentences for the most serious offences.

Filming will be restricted to sentencing remarks only and no other court user – including victims, witnesses, jurors and court staff – will be filmed.

Justice Secretary & Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, said: This government, alongside the judiciary, is committed to improving public understanding of our justice system and allowing cameras into the Crown Court will do just that. It will ensure our courts remain open and transparent and allow people to see justice being delivered to the most serious of offenders."

Today’s legislation follows a successful three-month pilot that allowed not-for-broadcast sentencing remarks to be filmed in eight Crown Courts and has been welcomed by ITN, Sky and the BBC.

Fran Unsworth, Director of News and Current Affairs at the BBC, said: Today’s announcement comes after a great campaign by the BBC, ITN and Sky to allow filming of judges’ sentencing remarks in the Crown Court and is a momentous day for transparency in our justice system. By opening up the courts, our audiences will be able to further their understanding of the criminal justice system and witness the judicial process for themselves. This provision is part of the government’s wider court reform and digitalisation programme, using technology and modern ways of working to increase access to justice for people up and down the country."