Guidance to Judges and Magistrates on public speaking, article writing, education outreach, and blogging

The request was partially successful.

Dear Ministry of Justice,

I note that Magistrates have been issued guidance that states they MUST NOT write blogs or comment on blogs while identifying themselves as Magistrates, in the terms "offic[e] holders who blog (or who post comments on other people’s blogs) must not identify themselves as members of the judiciary." Yet senior Judges who give speeches identify themselves as Judges, and we are all the better for that.

With that in mind, I make this request:

Please forward the text of the recent guidance issued to Magistrates and to any other members of the Judiciary on the subject of blogging and commenting on blogs or related matters. Please include the name of the person who authorised or caused the guidance to be issued.

Please also forward any and all currently effective guidance issued on the subject of speech making, writing of articles for newspapers, and other public education or outreach efforts, including blogging, by any members of the judiciary including magistrates.

Finally, please forward minutes or notes of any internal or interdeparmental or other meeting or discussion with any other person (including email exchanges) where the same were discussed, in particular where any difference between the two sets of guidance (or absence of guidance) is discussed or justified, where the proportionality of such guidance is discussed or where the legality of the guidance or the compliance of guidance with principles of openness, human rights, international law, or with the reasonable expectations of the general public were concerned.

I appreciate that the third request will take longer to fulfil so I would be grateful if you would forward the first two at the soonest opportunity.

The return address of this email is the address for correspondance to be used for this purpose.

Yours faithfully,
Mr Ben Liddicott

Dear Ministry of Justice,

I would be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of my message of the 9th August.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Liddicott

Hiden, Geoff,

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Liddicott
 
I attach an acknowledgement of you requested dated 9 August 2012.
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
Geoff Hiden | HR Policy & Projects Advisor | Judicial Office | 10D |
Thomas More Building | Royal Courts of Justice |Strand |London |WC2A 2LL|
[1]www.judiciary.gov.uk
 
 

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Hiden, Geoff,

6 Attachments

 
Dear Mr Liddicott,
 
I attach a response to your FOI request, dated 9 August 2012. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
Geoff Hiden | HR Policy & Projects Advisor | Judicial Office | 10D |
Thomas More Building | Royal Courts of Justice |Strand |London |WC2A 2LL|
[1]www.judiciary.gov.uk
 
 

This e-mail (and any attachment) is intended only for the attention of
the addressee(s). Its unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying
is not permitted. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy
all
copies and inform the sender by return e-mail.

Internet e-mail is not a secure medium. Any reply to this message
could be intercepted and read by someone else. Please bear that in
mind when deciding whether to send material in response to this message
by e-mail.

This e-mail (whether you are the sender or the recipient) may be
monitored, recorded and retained by the Ministry of Justice. E-mail
monitoring / blocking software may be used, and e-mail content may be
read at any time. You have a responsibility to ensure laws are not
broken when composing or forwarding e-mails and their contents.

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.judiciary.gov.uk

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