WA: Government wants cameras into courts

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2006
WA: Government wants cameras into courts

By Jo Prichard

PERTH, April 3 AAP - West Australian courts could be the first in the country to televise
proceedings on a regular basis.

Attorney General Jim McGinty has proposed a more open court system, which would include
the regular broadcast of opening and closing submissions and judgments.

The state government is building a new court-house complex with improved security measures
after a major prison escape in 2004.

Mr McGinty said today he would like the new Chief Justice, whose appointment was approved
by cabinet today, to be able to take the new court house into the 21st century.

Mr McGinty will reveal the name of the new CJ at a later date.

"It's important that we don't overthrow those traditions but we do make it modern,
efficient and a publicly understandable system," Mr McGinty said.

The Attorney General said the privacy of juries, witnesses and victims of crime needed
to be protected.

He did not want to run the risk of the court system developing into a circus, like
the OJ Simpson case in the United States.

"We still want justice to be done, we also want it to be seen to be done," Mr McGinty said.

"To that end, I don't want to see the courts opened up to sensationalism on a daily basis."

On June 10, 2004, nine prisoners stole cell keys and carjacked two motorists in a mass
escape from the Supreme Court in Perth's central business district.

Four were recaptured within hours, but it took police a further 13 days to track down the rest.

The issue put political pressure on the justice minister Michelle Roberts, who lost
the portfolio to a junior minister after the 2004 state election.

AAP jp/it/sd

KEYWORD: COURTS

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