AddThis SmartLayers

Plans to limit inquest reporting are 'misguided', says PCC chairman

Proposals to limit the rights of the press to report inquests are “misguided” the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission has said.

In a letter to constitutional affairs minister Harriet Harman, Sir Christopher Meyer voiced concerns over parts of the the draft Coroners Bill and said much of what the Government was trying to achieve should be possible through greater education of the bereaved about what to expect, and about how they can object to inaccurate or intrusive reporting or newsgathering methods.

He said the PCC received many complaints from people who did not even realise reports of the inquest may be published, and the answer could be to make more information available.

He warned plans to give coroners the power to impose reporting restrictions at inquests in England and Wales could threaten the interests of the broader public in having an open system of hearings into deaths, with coroners facing a temptation to side with the bereaved when receiving an application for anonymity.

He said in his letter: “I am worried that by requiring a case by case public interest test about whether anonymity should be granted, the interests of the broader public in having an open system of hearings into deaths will be overlooked.

“With each decision to restrict reporting, the principle of open justice will be eroded further. What is more, I cannot believe that it will be at all easy for a coroner to take a rounded view at the outset of a hearing on whether or not there is no public interest in hearing the case in public.

“The right of journalists to report on inquests is not to be defended solely in terms of press freedom, although that is of course important.

“Such a right is also a key feature of an open society in which the public as a whole has a right to know what is going on, and be reassured that there are no cover ups of unusual or premature deaths.

“As with evidence given in other courts, the possibility of public scrutiny also focuses the minds of those appearing before the coroner on the importance of giving accurate evidence.”

He also said that while journalists have a right to report inquests, there are already rules on intrusion into grief and shock in place in the Code of Practice, which says publication must be handled sensitively.

He added: “The Commission has interpreted this as meaning that publication of excessive detail – which might seem to revel in gruesome details – or a report that makes light of an unusual death, may breach the code.

“There are further general rules on news gathering – particularly in terms of harassment – that are relevant when reporters or photographers turn up to inquest hearings.

“I believe that the proposal to limit the rights of the press to report inquests is misguided. But that is not to question your motives.

“Much of what you are trying to achieve should be possible through greater education of the bereaved about what they can expect at such times, and about how they can object to inaccurate or intrusive reporting or newsgathering methods.

“We all have the interests of the bereaved and vulnerable at heart. But there may be other ways of helping to protect such people without the significant downsides that are associated with this particular proposal.”