NCJ Number
245365
Journal
Judicial Officers' Bulletin Volume: 25 Issue: 9 Dated: October 2013 Pages: 73-76
Date Published
October 2013
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the future of authorized law reporting in Australia.
Abstract
Due to the increase in free-to-air legal publishing, the author, a justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, proposes changing the current rules surrounding authorized law reports to ensure their continued viability. The author examines the concept of authorized law reports, how they came about, and the continued need for having them published. The author then examines the conflict between today's consumers who are used to having documents available to them online at no charge with the need for publishers to find a viable funding mechanism to sustain their business. Publishers of authorized law reports are also constrained by legal precedents that dictate how and when certain documents need to be published. The author proposes that a workable compromise needs to be reached between public and private information providers to ensure that both parties reap the benefits of providing authorized legal reports to the general public.