Potential Revisions to Rules on Cameras in American Courtrooms November 30, 2010

The Boston Globe published an interesting piece today on the place of cameras in the courtrooms of state Judges:

“State judges may soon open courtrooms to citizen journalists and bloggers while also increasing the ability of mainstream journalists to connect directly with readers on the Internet.

The Supreme Judicial Court released proposed revisions to its rules governing cameras in the courtroom yesterday, proposals designed to reflect the dramatic changes in society and the news media industry over the past several years.”

However, use of recording equipment would still be very limited, particularly in regards to the members of the jury:

“Even with the new rules, judges still have the authority to ban cameras in certain circumstances. Also, journalists would still be barred from recording jurors at all times during a trial, whether it is a civil or criminal matter.” Read full article…

Is Canada ready for such a step in the 21st century?