Tweets to be allowed from U.K. courtrooms
LONDON, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A British high court judge ruled that tweeting from courtrooms will be allowed, saying it is "unlikely to interfere with the proper administration of justice."
The ruling from the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales came after journalists used Twitter at the bail hearing of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to give live updates, the BBC reported Monday.
"The use of an unobtrusive, hand-held, virtually silent piece of modern equipment for the purposes of simultaneous reporting of proceedings to the outside world as they unfold in court is unlikely to interfere with the proper administration of justice," the judge ruled.
Tweeting from courtrooms has been the subject of controversy because it is a form of public broadcasting potentially readable by anyone.
At Assange's bail application hearing on Tuesday last week at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, journalists asked the judge whether they could tweet.
District Judge Howard Riddle said he had no objection and several reporters then proceeded to give regular updates throughout the hearing.
The Lord Chief Justice's ruling has immediate effect but a review will be conducted, the BBC reported.
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