Audio-Visual Coverage of Courts : A Comparative Analysis

Through a comprehensive and a largely unprecedented comparative analysis of the cameras-in-courts experiences and regulation of audio-visual reporting in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, this book proposes a theoretical framework and proven action plan for the attainment of the potential benefits of audio-visual coverage.

Researched over a period of 15 years by an author who has personally participated in the debate internationally, Audio-Visual Coverage of Courts was the first book to undertake a comprehensive comparative study of televised court proceedings in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Exhaustive in his identification and analysis of relevant law and key developments, Daniel Stepniak draws on hitherto unpublished primary sources to undertake a largely unprecedented examination of the experiences of non-US courts. Through analysis of the regulation of audio-visual reporting, the author outlines a theoretical framework and proven action plan for the attainment of the potential benefits of audio-visual coverage, arguing that technological advances, acknowledgement of legally enforceable rights and, above all, judicial recognition of courts' vested interest in facilitating coverage in order to promote greater public access and understanding of judicial proceedings, have led audio-visual coverage to be increasingly perceived as desirable.