There may be times in the progress of a case that restrictions will apply to what information can be made public in order to protect the interests of justice and the integrity of the trial process.
The courts publish a guide (updated on 10 November 2014) on those statutory provisions that prohibit the publication of certain information in certain circumstances. It is intended as a guide only; exceptions may apply.
It is the responsibility of anyone publishing information about a trial to be informed of and observe these prohibitions. If unsure, check with the appropriate court registry.
Material may be suppressed by reason of a statutory provision, an existing suppression order of the court or a lower court, or an order made in the course of delivering judgment.
The Courts have published guidelines concerning media coverage of court proceedings. The guidelines are applicable to the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the District Court and some statutory tribunals. The Supreme Court has published separate guidelines.
The guidelines and application forms for covering court proceedings and accessing documents are available on this website.
