High Court: Courts can close hearings to public following series of disturbances

The High Court of Justice issues a decision allowing judicial panels in all courts to close their hearings to the public if it has reason to fear that there will be riots, disturbances, or other significant interruptions by attendees during the scheduled hearing.

Closing hearings to the public will be possible, however, only when the hearing is broadcast live by the Judicial Authority, or broadcast on a closed circuit TV system, so that viewers from the public are able to watch proceedings in a separate room in the courthouse.

The High Court decision is issued by the seven-justice panel hearing petitions against the government’s dismissal of the attorney general. It says that the reason for the move is several recent instances in which High Court and lower court proceedings have been disturbed by members of the audience, including lawmakers, who have repeatedly shouted at lawyers and judges during the hearings, and resisted being removed from courtrooms.

“Unfortunately, we have recently witnessed a new phenomenon that was previously unheard of – interruptions to hearings by the audience present in the courtroom, and attempts to make it difficult for lawyers to plead and for the court to do its job,” says the court.

It notes that some lawyers have reported being harassed by members of the public waiting outside courtrooms, while court security guards have been verbally abused when evicting audience members disturbing court proceedings.

“This is an attempt to intimidate the court, the parties [to legal proceedings], and their attorneys – and in effect, to prevent the court from carrying out its role in serving the public,” the court says.