Former president of Queensland’s Law Society Bill Potts responds to the media being blocked by the court.

“Not every member of the public can be in the court at all, so we rely upon a fair and proper media to come along to provide clarity to provide reporting to tell us what occurred and why it occurred.” A Magistrate recently ruled against media presence in the courtroom for a mention hearing relating to the teenager charged over the tragic deaths of Kate Leadbetter and Matt Fields on Australia Day. There is a general principle that the court is open to the public and the media. However, in the Children’s Court jurisdiction there are special exceptions which balance the...