This Practice Note was issued on 11 December 2024 and commences on 11 December 2024.
Practice Note SC Gen 23
Recordings of court hearings
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Chief Justice has authorised the issue of the following Practice Note.
1.2 The purpose of this Practice Note is to set out the Court’s practice in relation to requests for access to recordings of court hearings.
2. COMMENCEMENT
2.1 This Practice Note was issued on 11 December 2024 and commences on 11 December 2024 and will apply to requests for access to recordings of Supreme Court hearings from that date.
3. APPLICATION
3.1 This Practice Note applies to all requests for access to recordings other than:
• where an application is made before the Court;
• requests for access to a sound recording of a charge, plea or sentence, to which paragraph 7 of Practice Note SC CA 1 Criminal Appeals applies;
• requests for the specific purpose of professional court users under the Protocol for Access to Recordings.
4. REQUESTS FOR ACCESS TO RECORDINGS
4.1 Court hearings are recorded so that transcript may be prepared. Transcript is the official record of what is said during court hearings. Information on ordering transcript may be found on the Court’s website, and information relating to transcript in civil proceedings is contained in Practice Note SC Gen 7 Transcript in Civil Proceedings.
4.2 Some recordings are made publicly available on the Court’s website for a period of time. Recordings (including those used to prepare transcript) are otherwise not generally available to parties or other individuals.
4.3 Access to recordings will only be provided in exceptional circumstances, and only if approved by the presiding judge, or in the event they are no longer a member of the Court, the Chief Justice.
4.4 Requests for recordings should be sent to the Court’s Digital Litigation team at
qvtvgny.yvgvtngvba@fhcpbheg.ivp.tbi.nhua.vog.civ.truocpus@noitagitil.latigid
. Requests should state the reason(s) why the recording is sought and the exceptional circumstances warranting release.
5. IF ACCESS IS PERMITTED
5.1 If access to a recording is permitted, a fee may be charged by the transcript provider. This will be advised and the request for access to the recording may be withdrawn at that stage.
5.2 The Court Security Act 1980 contains offences for unauthorised publication of recordings and unauthorised sharing of recordings.
5.3 The Court may also impose conditions on access to a recording.
5.4 It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure they comply with legislation regarding recordings of court proceedings and any conditions imposed.
AMENDMENT HISTORY
11 December 2024: This Practice Note was issued on 11 December 2024.
Viv Mahy
Executive Associate to the Chief Justice
11 December 2024