Criminal Court Ceases Live Telecast of Trials

The Criminal Court has passed a motion to bring to an end live telecasting trials.

According to a motion passed by the unanimous vote of all present nine judges, telecasting trials is to be halted until the guidelines for telecasting trials are revised and published. Further, the Court also concluded to continue telecasting ongoing trials, should all the parties involved in those trials wish to continue telecasting trials.

The Court was also of the opinion that while in a trial witnesses are not allowed to be in the courtroom, telecasting trials allows witnesses to observe proceedings before they have testified. Further, among the reasons that Court gave for halting telecasting trials, are that telecasting trials disrupt the public order, create doubt in the judicial process and negatively impacting other trials of persons of interests of televised trials.

While the Court has passed the motion, the ex-President Abdulla Yameen’s money laundering trial is being televised.