HMCTS staff guidance on supporting media access to courts and tribunals
Guidance for HMCTS staff to encourage and facilitate media access to our courts and tribunals
Documents
Details
The principle of open justice is a longstanding feature of our legal system. The public has a right to know what happens in our courts and tribunals, and public confidence in the justice system relies on transparency.
One way this important principle is upheld is the attendance and reporting of proceedings by the media. It is through the media that many people hear about the operation of the justice system and form views on it.
We developed this guide with representatives of the media to ensure that it is best focused to help our staff provide the best possible service to what is an important professional court and tribunal user group.
This guide covers most of the typical media situations our staff are likely to encounter and will be regularly reviewed.
In the following video Tristan Kirk, Courts Correspondent at the Evening Standard introduces the staff guidance and explains why the new guidance is so important for open justice and transparency:
Updates to this page
Last updated
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Updated media guidance for Tribunals.
Update history
2025-05-28 07:30
Updated page, updated document guidance.
2025-03-11 13:52
Updated media guidance for Tribunals.
2025-01-27 12:16
Updated
2025-01-27 11:46
Updated page
2024-10-17 12:41
Factual changes to civil jurisdictional guide.
2024-07-31 12:05
Updated page.
2024-07-31 11:55
Updated page
2024-07-30 15:00
Updated pages.
2024-03-06 07:30
An addition to the email disclaimer has been made to HMCTS media protocol – reminding journalists/court reporters to contact our Service Centres as first point of contact when needed to contact magistrates’ courts.
2024-02-26 15:25
Removed possession proceedings paragraph from ‘Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Civil courts guide (accessible version)’
2023-12-12 12:20
Updated paragraph on court lists.
2023-12-12 11:50
Updated versions of Media Guidance and How to read a magistrates’ court register guide added, December 2023.
2023-08-23 16:21
Update to Family Court media guide – disclosure of information (names and addresses) section: Proceedings not involving children but which are to be heard without notice to one or more parties: names of parties can be given to members of the media, but not to the public in general or a section of the public. Any other family proceedings: names of parties can be given to members of the media.
2023-07-12 13:15
Added updated Magistrates’ Court register guidance
2023-06-30 12:25
Media protocol updated – SJP documents available on request to media: • the prosecution statement of facts or, if there is no statement of facts, the witness statement(s): this also includes embedded exhibits (such as a photograph)
2023-04-06 08:18
Family court guide updated with correct link to the President of the Family Division guidance as to reporting in the Family Courts – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary published in Oct 2019.
2023-01-27 16:10
Main media guidance doc:- changing reference from ‘trail’ to ‘hearing’- update to Judicial Office press office contact details- update to judgments section – explaining where copied are available fromCriminal court guide:- update to reporting restriction section to include reference to Common PlatformReporters’ Charter- changing reference from ‘trail’ to ‘hearing’
2022-09-07 17:12
Update to Tribunals media guide to clarify that since February 2017 the vast majority of Judgments issued to parties are accessible online with the exception of judgments for withdrawn claims under Rule 52 and, very occasionally, judgments in national security cases where special rules apply.
2022-06-28 09:53
Updated HMCTS media guidance to include information on remote observation of hearings.
2022-05-11 13:06
Reporters’ Charter added to page. Criminal and Family guides updated. How to read a Crown Court list and How to read a Magistrates’ Court register guides also added.
2022-02-24 14:10
Protocol on sharing court lists, registers and documents with the media updated.