NCJ Number
155956
Journal
Justice Report Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (1995) Pages: 18-21
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Canadian journalists have noted the level of pretrial publicity that prevails in the United States and the resulting pressure to allow television cameras in Canadian courtrooms.
Abstract
Societal changes in Canada have generated pressures to televise all trials. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, for example, has made numerous applications to televise trials but has been rebuffed. If television cameras are to be allowed in Canadian courtrooms, safeguards should be established to maintain the integrity of the trial process and the judicial system. Consideration should be paid to the impact of television cameras on trial procedures and participants, particularly nervous or reluctant witnesses. The author contends that television cameras in the courtroom are acceptable but that a media circus such as that associated with the O.J. Simpson trial should be avoided.