Courts and Tribunals Observers’ Network

Yesterday (Wednesday 4 June) saw the Courts and Tribunals Observers’ Network members and other legal and policy specilaists gather in Oxford for a day of discussions around open justice in practice. The highlight of the day was a lecture by Mr Justice Nicklin, which you can read in full here.

Mr Justice Nicklin, who chairs the Judiciary’s Transparency and Open Justice Board, acknowledged the role of a range of court observers including but nor limited to the traditional media:

The role of “public watchdog” historically played by the media, is now shared by others who observe and report upon proceedings in Courts and Tribunals. The Courts and Tribunals Observers’ Network are part of the increasing number of citizens, including academics, who are taking a direct interest in the work of Courts & Tribunals and, in doing so, provide vital reports about proceedings to a wider audience. I thank each of you for your dedication to this work. I would be delighted to see citizens observing the public hearings of every Court and Tribunal and reporting on what happened in the proceedings.

More reflections to follow in due course.