HMCTS Staff Guidance On Supporting Media Access To Courts And ...

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Guidance HMCTS staff guidance on supporting media access to courts and tribunals

Guidance for HMCTS staff to encourage and facilitate media access to our courts and tribunals

From: HM Courts & Tribunals Service Published 24 October 2018 Last updated 10 November 2025 — See all updates Get emails about this page

Documents

HMCTS media guidance

PDF, 262 KB, 9 pages

HMCTS media guidance (accessible version)

HTML

How to read a criminal court register

PDF, 304 KB, 2 pages

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HMCTS media guidance: Managing high profile cases

PDF, 240 KB, 8 pages

HMCTS media guidance: Managing high profile cases (accessible version)

HTML

Protocol on sharing court lists, registers and documents with the media

PDF, 93.1 KB, 4 pages

Protocol on sharing court lists, registers and documents with the media (accessible version)

HTML

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Criminal courts guide

PDF, 181 KB, 10 pages

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Criminal courts guide (accessible version)

HTML

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Civil courts guide

PDF, 134 KB, 3 pages

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Civil courts guide (accessible version)

HTML

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Family courts guide

PDF, 113 KB, 8 pages

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Family courts guide (accessible version)

HTML

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Tribunals guide

PDF, 110 KB, 8 pages

Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Tribunals guide (accessible version)

HTML

Reporters' Charter

PDF, 288 KB, 8 pages

How to read a Crown Court list guide

PDF, 236 KB, 1 page

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Details

The principle of open justice is a longstanding feature of our legal system. The public has a right to know what happens in our courts and tribunals, and public confidence in the justice system relies on transparency.

One way this important principle is upheld is the attendance and reporting of proceedings by the media. It is through the media that many people hear about the operation of the justice system and form views on it.

We developed this guide with representatives of the media to ensure that it is best focused to help our staff provide the best possible service to what is an important professional court and tribunal user group.

This guide covers most of the typical media situations our staff are likely to encounter and will be regularly reviewed.

In the following video Tristan Kirk, Courts Correspondent at the Evening Standard introduces the staff guidance and explains why the new guidance is so important for open justice and transparency:

Tristan Kirk, Court Correspondent, Evening Standard

Updates to this page

Published 24 October 2018 Last updated 10 November 2025 + show all updates

1. 10 November 2025

   Factual updates to main media guide and reporters charter including fixing broken links.

2. 12 September 2025

   Updating the criminal court jurisdictional guide to align to main media guidance document.

3. 15 July 2025

   Tribunals guide updated - refreshed IAC first-tier tribunal section

4. 28 May 2025

   Updated page, updated document guidance.

5. 11 March 2025

   Updated media guidance for Tribunals.

6. 27 January 2025

   Updated

7. 27 January 2025

   Updated page

8. 17 October 2024

   Factual changes to civil jurisdictional guide.

9. 31 July 2024

   Updated page.

10. 31 July 2024

    Updated page

11. 30 July 2024

    Updated pages.

12. 6 March 2024

    An addition to the email disclaimer has been made to HMCTS media protocol - reminding journalists/court reporters to contact our Service Centres as first point of contact when needed to contact magistrates' courts.

13. 26 February 2024

    Removed possession proceedings paragraph from 'Jurisdictional guidance to support media access to courts and tribunals: Civil courts guide (accessible version)'

14. 12 December 2023

    Updated paragraph on court lists.

15. 12 December 2023

    Updated versions of Media Guidance and How to read a magistrates' court register guide added, December 2023.

16. 23 August 2023

    Update to Family Court media guide - disclosure of information (names and addresses) section: - Proceedings not involving children but which are to be heard without notice to one or more parties: names of parties can be given to members of the media, but not to the public in general or a section of the public. - Any other family proceedings: names of parties can be given to members of the media.

17. 12 July 2023

    Added updated Magistrates' Court register guidance

18. 30 June 2023

    Media protocol updated - SJP documents available on request to media: • the prosecution statement of facts or, if there is no statement of facts, the witness statement(s): this also includes embedded exhibits (such as a photograph)

19. 6 April 2023

    Family court guide updated with correct link to the President of the Family Division guidance as to reporting in the Family Courts - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary published in Oct 2019.

20. 27 January 2023

    Main media guidance doc: - changing reference from 'trail' to 'hearing' - update to Judicial Office press office contact details - update to judgments section - explaining where copied are available from Criminal court guide: - update to reporting restriction section to include reference to Common Platform Reporters' Charter - changing reference from 'trail' to 'hearing'

21. 7 September 2022

    Update to Tribunals media guide to clarify that since February 2017 the vast majority of Judgments issued to parties are accessible online with the exception of judgments for withdrawn claims under Rule 52 and, very occasionally, judgments in national security cases where special rules apply.

22. 28 June 2022

    Updated HMCTS media guidance to include information on remote observation of hearings.

23. 11 May 2022

    Reporters' Charter added to page. Criminal and Family guides updated. How to read a Crown Court list and How to read a Magistrates' Court register guides also added.

24. 24 February 2022

    Protocol on sharing court lists, registers and documents with the media updated.

25. 25 June 2021

    Main media guidance document updated with staff advice on dealing with 'contempt of court' including escalation process. Managing with high profile cases guidance document updated with refefences to managing hearings remotely by Cloud Video Platform (CVP).

26. 5 March 2020

    Media guidance documents updated - 5 March 2020.

27. 30 January 2019

    Tribunal guide - SIAC information updated.

28. 23 November 2018

    Revised tribunals guide uploaded. Link to lists for UT(AAC) altered.

29. 24 October 2018

    First published.

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