Friday, July 20, 2012



Overkill

So, it turns out the mystery injunction against the BBC's London riots anniversary documdrama was fair-trial related, but not directly. Instead,

Mr Justice Flaux, who was presiding over the murder trial of eight men who were acquitted at Birmingham crown court on Thursday, made the injunction on the grounds that the film raised issues which "echoed" arguments put before his jury.
Protecting the right to a fair trial is important, and one of the few reasons justifying prior restraint on free speech - but this is simply overkill. What next? Banning any television programme showing a burglary because it "echoes" ordinary burglaries?