Jurors who browse the internet for information when sitting on trials may face a new criminal offence under plans to modernise the contempt laws outlined today.
The move would “send an important message” to jurors that such research is breaking the law, the law reform watchdog, the Law Commission, recommends today.
In a second more controversial proposal, the commission suggests a new power for courts to order the media and publishers to remove prejudicial content from websites during a trial.
If a criminal case becomes active, then the judge could order that an old, prejudicial article about the case is temporarily taken down from a website. Failure to do so would be punishable as a contempt of court.
Professor David Ormerod, the Law Commissioner leading