Teenager jailed for taking photo at Luton Crown Court

[dipsydoodle]

A teenager has been jailed for two months for taking a photograph of a court room from the public gallery during proceedings.

He was spotted taking a picture which he sent to her ( his girlfriend ) and Judge Barbara Mensah jailed him for contempt of court.

>

As she jailed him on Friday he said: "That's stupid man."

After Thompson was seen taking the photo his phone was seized and he was taken to the cells.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-15057842

Hopefully he will now have learned that ignorance of the law can't be used as a defense in the UK. Maybe our children should be taught that at school for the avoidance of doubt,

[ikri]

1. 2 months is overkill

A night in the cells and some community service would have been a far better option, it'd still get the message across and wouldn't cost anywhere near as much.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Was contempt of court

He was in fact lucky only to get two months. No remission either on charges of contempt as far as I'm aware although an apology may help. One of my pals got a year once in Stafford for contempt of court.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Well, if this young man got 2 months for photographing what should have been kept private on this

one occasion, I can't help wondering how long the journalists who systematically and illegally invade the privacy of individuals and institutions should get!

[oldironside]

4. Rebekah Brooks should be looking at...

... a couple of ice ages, if there is any justice.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Two wrongs don't a right

and as far as I'm aware contempt of court charges are rarely for more than a year anyway.

[Ken Burch]

6. Why was it such a horrible thing that he took the photo?

It's not as if this case involved people testifying against organized crime figures.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Its not just this case

Its illegal to take photos in our courts.

It is a criminal offence (contempt) to take a photograph in any court of any person, being a judge of the court or a juror or a witness in or a party to any proceedings before the court, whether civil or criminal, or to publish such a photograph. This includes photographs taken in a court building, or the precincts of the court.<5> Taking a photograph in a court can be seen as a serious offence, leading to a prison sentence.<6><7> The prohibition on taking photographs in the precincts is vague. It was designed to prevent the undermining of the dignity of the court, through the exploitation of images in low brow 'picture papers'.<8>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law#Legal_restrictions_on_photography

[Ken Burch]

8. I didn't think it was just in this case

Was wondering why, in general, it seemed to be such a heinous act in the eyes of the court. I've also heard that your judicial system is significantly less accountable for abuses of power than ours is and rather more mysterious in its workings at the higher level.

Thanks for the explanation of the larger issue, though.

BTWm Is judicial reform a significant political issue in the UK?

[dipsydoodle]

9. In answer to your question

regarding "Is judicial reform a significant political issue in the UK" - I don't really know other than to say it don't seem to be discussed much. The thoughts of others over here in the UK here on DU the subject may differ.

If you google "judicial reform uk" you'll find links to last mooted changes five years or so back ref. appt. of the Lord Chancellor etc. I think that had actually dragged on more or less since Blair started the issue in 1997.

Also read through : http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/oct/29/law.world

and : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_Kingdom

With regard to UK in general differences do remain between England and Scotland possibly associated with the fact that England uses common law and Scotland uses Roman law.

[Matilda]

10. It's against the law to take photographs in court in Australia too,

but what do teenagers know? Most of them get all their information from social media today, and I doubt very much whether he was really trying to provoke anybody. It deserved a strong warning, and perhaps a small fine.

I'll bet the judge isn't a mother, or she'd have known just how silly teenagers can be.