Press bench signage (March 2008)

Two initiatives - press bench signs and a national and consistent press sheet process - have just been rolled out to assist the media’s access to the court system.

Press bench signs have been distributed to all District and High Courts in March 2008, to help courts designate a media-only space.

Press bench is an historical term; in this context the term encompasses all media and ranges from a single chair and table, to a designated part of a shared bench, through to a designated bench with a number of chairs.

Some courts will be able to allocate a permanent press bench space, while other courts will manage designated press bench space on a day to day, case by case basis.

Where there is a large media contingent, court staff will continue to seat the media together in another part of the courtroom, and to advise the Judge accordingly.