The Australian High Court has warned journalists planning to cover the forthcoming appeal in the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft v iiNet case that they won’t be permitted to tweet from the courtroom – or to use any electronic device such as voice recorders.
In a move that takes accurate reporting back years the court has deemed that the old pen and paper and shorthand is the order of the day and that any electronic gadgets will be “confiscated”
The court will hear an appeal by AFACT against a decision of the Federal Court that backed iiNet’s reluctance to move against subscribers identified by AFACT as music or movie pirates.
The Federal Court under Justice Dennis Cowdroy permitted tweeting: believed to be the first time this had happened in the Australian legal system.
However the High Court has told the media: “We ask that you do not take any of the following items into the courtrooms when the court is in session: cameras, radios, pagers, tape players, tape recorders, mobile phones or any other electronic equipment.”
All people seeking to attend the hearing will be required to surrender all electronic equipment before entering the courtroom. The court will begin its three-day hearing of appeal on November 30.
Maybe, we also bring back hanging.
