Cost of court reporting soars

An earlier blog mentioned the chilling effect libel lawyer Peter Carter-Ruck had on press reporting – now it’s the courts themselves that are erecting barriers to discourage reporters from doing their jobs. Press Gazette quotes Castlemorton freelance Sarah Limbrick whose costs for accessing court documents shot up from £660 to £2,481 in just three months.

‘It is government policy to ensure fees reflect the full recovery of the cost involved in providing the service,’ said Mark Cram of Her Majesty’s Courts Service. And damn the public interest in the process, no doubt.

Maxwell will be chuckling in his grave over this one.