Open Justice in the Technological Age

This speech explores the role of open justice in a new technological age. While courts have been public places for centuries, the advent of new technologies and social media has driven courts towards direct community engagement in order to preserve open justice. The reduction in official press reporting of court cases has meant there is an information vacuum that is being filled through social media and online content. This phenomenon results in information being published without deference to editorial opinion regarding its newsworthiness or the accuracy of content. The proliferation of online commentary has the potential to undermine the right to a fair trial for many. While courts must continue to be vigilant in ensuring certain information is suppressed in some cases, it must also engage with social media to ensure open justice. The Supreme Court of Victoria has a presence on Twitter and Facebook and may soon pilot a project where a retired Supreme Court judge would blog on certain legal issues. These are all steps to ensure that the Supreme Court continues to safeguard open justice in a new technological paradigm.