WikiLeaks: Julian Assange bail hearing makes legal history with Twitter ruling

By John Bingham, and Andrew Hough 10:00PM GMT 14 Dec 2010

Howard Riddle, the Chief Magistrate, agreed that reporters could send the short messages, known as “Tweets” as long as they did so "quietly" and "did not disturb" the court.

Ther majority of the tweets were posted by Alexi Mostrous, a Times journalist, and Heather Brooke, the Freedom of Information campaigner.

Although there is no central rule banning the use of mobile phones in court, in practice they are prohibited during hearings in the same way that television cameras and recording equipment are not allowed.

But it emerged that senior judges are “actively considering” whether courts should allow Tweets.

It follows comments from the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, in a lecture in Belfast last month in which he openly pondered an easing of restrictions.

“If it is possible to file a story via email from a laptop in court, then why is Twitter any different?" he asked.

“On the other hand tape-recordings are prohibited by statute.

“Why is Twitter in the form of text-based transmission of material from court any different?”

A spokesman for the judiciary said: “The questions raised by bthe Lord Chief Justice in his recent lecture regarding the use of Twitter and the principles of open justice are under active consideration by the senior judiciary.”