Catholic Online Forum

Less than a fortnight after handing down his report into British press standards, Lord Justice Leveson is in Australia to discuss the changing face of journalism and how it affects the law.

Speaking at the University of Melbourne, he said in the future the established media would compete more directly with bloggers and tweeters.

He said the result would be a wider variety of news than ever before.

"Whether good, bad or indifferent, whether accurate or fiction dressed as fact," he said.

But Lord Justice Leveson added that the law, both criminal and civil, needed to be equally applicable to all in the media.

He said if appropriate journalistic standards are to be maintained, more needs to be done to regulate those who work online.

"We will therefore have to think creatively about how we ensure that the law is capable of equal application, and is applied equally and fairly, against the mainstream media and bloggers, tweeters and other amateur online journalists," he said.

He warned that if changes were not made, there was a risk the established media would be tempted to cut corners or bend the law as it went up against amateur online journalists.

"It may encourage unethical and, potentially, unlawful practices to get a story," he said.

"The effect then is an indirect one, and one which lies behind the headline and the front-page scoop.

"In a culture which sees some act with impunity in the face of the civil law, and the criminal law, a general decline in standards may arise."

A criminal trial is about to begin in Melbourne. It was a rape/murder that has caught national attention. Certain material concerning the accused has been published on Facebook, material that should never be made public while a matter is sub judice. There are grave fears the accused cannot now receive a fair trial.

(I'll comment in more detail later, when it is appropriate to do so.)

There was an appalling example of what Lord Justice Leveson has in mind just a coule of months ago. I commented at the time



viewtopic.php?f=62&t=66342&p=850171&hilit=sub+judice#p850171

Had a professional journalist done that he'd be in serious trouble in the criminal courts. As it was "ordinary people" chattering on Facebook, the law is unclear and untested.

(I'll comment in more detail later, when it is appropriate to do so.)

Bayley is facing two new rape charges, in relation to attacks in Elwood and Balaclava in April and July last year.