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Back Lord Chief Justice Cites Independent Press as 'Cornerstone' of Free Society 19/11/2009 By: Newspaper Society The Lord Chief Justice told the Society of Editors annual conference that “an independent press and an independent judiciary are twincornerstones, and bulwarks of a free society”, “Cornerstones because the entire fabric of a free society is dependent on an independent press and an independent judiciary. Bulwarks because these are the instititutions which must defend a free society when it is threatened.” Lord Judge warned about the dangers of spin and urged newspapers not to abandon the reporting of courts and local councils. He argued that newspapers should not fall under the influence of public authorities. “But notice, if you will, that I have spoken about an independent press. I do not mean a handout by the government of the day, or the local authority, or any other institutional organisation which affects the lives of the citizen of the country, producing its own broadsheet. I do not want the press to become the broadsheet of those institutions. I do not want proceedings of the local council to be reported by an employee of the local council. I do not want the proceedings of court to be reported by a member of the judicial communications office. Spin is neither a cornerstone nor a bulwark of a free society. We need independent , objective reporting,” he said. He underlined the importance of press coverage of the courts “Just as an independent press can expose the errors made by local authorities and governments, so too, the administration of justice in the courts should be open to the public scrutiny which an independent press provides”. “It is my personal belief that in any society which embraces the rule of law it is an essential requisite of the criminal justice system that it should be administered in public and subject to public scrutiny. And for these purposes the representatives of the media reflect the public interest and provide and embody public scrutiny.” Lord Judge explained that his core belief in open justice had led to his putting his full support behind the first production of the JSB/ Newspaper Society/ Society of Editors court reporting restrictions guides, some ten years ago and his personal support behind the recent update. He explained how the guide can be used by reporters to make submissions directly to the court to point out either that the law did not permit press exclusion or prevent reporting, or, where it did, whether the court should exercise those powers to do so, with reasons why it should not. He spoke of the importance of the survival of the local press, so that its representatives could be present in court and in local councils and anywhere else that the press should be. “I am not content if there is no one to go into court and observe and then to write up. If there is no one to walk in, the public interest is damaged. That is the harsh reality.” He commented that such information “matters hugely to the fabric of our society”. Lord Judge also spoke about the impact of modern technology on the jury system super-injunctions, libel forum shopping and conditional fee agreements in his speech to editors and newspaper executives at the Society’s conference in Stansted. The full text of his keynotespeech can be read on the website of the Society of Editors Baroness Buscombe, chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, delivered the annual lecture. The conference also saw Donald Martin, editor-in-chief of Newsquest’s Herald & Times Group in Glasgow, begin his tenure as the Society’s president taking over from Nigel Pickover, editor of the Evening Star. For further information, please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.
Lebedev to open upbeat editors’ conference Alexander Lebedev will deliver the Society of Editors lecture in Glasgow in November. The prestigious annual lecture that has previously been delivered by politicians and some of the biggest names in newspapers and broadcasting opens the Society of Editors conference which will celebrate the huge achievements in meeting the challenges of the multi-media age.  The Society of Editors works to protect the freedom of all sectors of the media to report on behalf of the public. Society members share the values that matter:
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