NCJ Number
85863
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 10 Issue: 5 Dated: (1982) Pages: 341-358
Date Published
1982
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article is a comparative examination of how the free press-fair trial issue is treated in Britain and America.
Abstract
Results of the study indicate that the British have very strict rules regarding trial publicity and media interference with the administration of justice. The United States, on the other hand, has sought to satisfy the First Amendment rights of the press and the Sixth Amendment rights of the accused through a judicial balancing of the competing interests. Consequently, the American people are much better informed about the workings of the criminal justice system than is the British public. The study concludes with proposals to reform the British system, especially the law of contempt. (Author abstract)