LUCEA, Hanover — President of the Court of Appeal Justice Seymour Panton has expressed the need for a code of conduct to be established to facilitate media coverage of live court proceedings.

“We are thinking that we are approaching a time when protocol ought to be developed where the media will have access to our proceedings live,” Justice Panton remarked.

He made it clear, however, that the protocol will have to be developed “as we do not intend for any situation to be created that persons get the impression that they are stars. We will be consulting among ourselves and discussing how best to facilitate the movement of the media into live proceedings.”

The judge made the comments during the historic start of the Division One of the Court of Appeal at the Resident Magistrate’s Building in Lucea, Hanover where members of the electronic media were allowed the use of video and still cameras inside the courtroom to record the proceedings.

It was the first time in 51 years that there was a hearing of the Court of Appeal outside of Kingston.

In the meantime, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, who was among those specially invited by Justice Panton to the momentous sitting of the Court of Appeal in western Jamaica, argued that the public should be privy to what happens in courthouses.

“There is a public clamour for people to understand and to know what our justice system is all about at every level of the justice system, certainly in the courts. May I be bold to say that it is the people’s court and it is important for accountability and transparency that a lot of persons… understand what goes on here,” the DPP said.

Incidentally, in August 2011, during the formal opening of the Lucea Family Courthouse in Hanover, then Justice Minister Delroy Chuck called for the use of video and still cameras in courtrooms. At the time, Chuck made exceptions such as children-related offences and sensitive legal matters.

He also expressed then, the need for Jamaica to follow global trends where the televising of court proceedings is widespread in other countries around the world.

Yesterday, current and past members of the Cornwall Bar Association welcomed the historic sitting of the Court of Appeal in western Jamaica.

The panel of judges for this sitting of the Court, which will run from December 9 to13 are :

* Justice Seymour Panton — President of the Court of Appeal;

* Justice C Dennis Morrison — Judge of Appeal; and

* Justice Patrick Brooks — Judge of Appeal.