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Questions to ministers after reporter barred from inquest

The Ministry of Justice is being urged to explain why a weekly newspaper reporter was barred from an inquest on the grounds that the court building’s insurance don’t cover him.

Security staff at Croydon Magistrates’ Court court ejected the Croydon Guardian’s Chris Baynes within seconds of the start of a hearing about the death of a young mum who died in hospital after giving birth.

The court is currently undergoing building work and a security guard told the reporter that its insurance policy did not cover members of the public.

Journalists from the paper have condemned the situation as “farcical” and have asked the Ministry of Justice, which oversees the court system, to explain.

Assistant editor Matt Watts told HTFP:  “It is very concerning that an inquest can effectively be held in secret because a journalist is not allowed access to a court when others concerned with the proceedings were, be it for insurance purposes or any other reason.

“This particular inquest was on a matter of great public interest – the death of a new mother in hospital – and it was important any potential errors in her care or lessons learned from the death could be reported on.

“Now however we have a situation where the details of what happened to Mrs Shanu may never be known.

“A journalist if they attend court should be considered an integral part of the proceedings, the same as lawyers and witnesses. For an insurance policy to specifically suggest that journalists are not covered in the same way as these other parties concerned in the proceedings is bizarre.

Added Matt:  “The court were unable to provide us with a copy of the insurance document which was particularly disappointing.

“We have contacted the Ministry of Justice about why our reporter had been excluded but they have not yet responded to explain why.”

Chris said: “Anyone who regularly covers this particular court will know things don’t always run smoothly, but this was particularly farcical.

“The idea that the right of the press to cover court proceedings – a fundamental part of our judicial system – can be somehow invalidated by building work is frankly absurd.

“If the court’s insurance policy genuinely does not cover journalists or members of the public, as I was told by security staff, then the inquest should not have been sitting at all.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice has told the paper the matter would be investigated.

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