Foreword | 1. Introduction | 2. Our court system | 3. Key participants for media in the court | 4. Media in court | 5. Courts with special media provisions | 6. Access to court information | 7. Courts with special rules concerning access to information | 8. Ministry of Justice media contacts | 9. References | 10. Appendices
Freedom of the media is an integral part of our system of government.
As media representatives in our courts, not only can you help ensure that justice is seen to be done, but in doing so you can help raise the level of public understanding of the courts. That is because most people learn about our legal system through the words and images conveyed by the media in news reports about court proceedings.
In addition, the work of the Ministry of Justice needs to be as open and transparent as possible. The media serves a vital role in making this happen.
With the exception of Parliament, having a permanent gallery of media representatives makes the court system unique amongst our public institutions.
The Ministry of Justice sees its role as one of facilitation and co-operation with media. Of course we must all work within the legislation governing court-related information and the principle of judicial discretion.
We appreciate your ongoing care and professionalism in reporting court proceedings, within the guidelines that are provided, in the interests of fairness and justice.
Belinda Clark
Secretary for Justice