IN-DEPTH: How Social Media Has Undermined Britain’s Legal Safeguards for Fair Trials

The law in England and Wales forbids people giving their opinions about ongoing or upcoming criminal trials but the principle is under assault on social media.

Police offices outside the Old Bailey, England's Central Criminal Court, as they await the sentencing of British police officer Wayne Couzens for the murder of Sarah Everard in London on Sept. 30, 2021. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

The law surrounding reporting on criminal trials has not changed for 40 years, but the advent of the internet and social media have changed the landscape beyond all recognition.

In June 2022, the Law Commission of England and Wales was asked by the government to review the law on contempt of court and, “consider reform to improve its effectiveness, consistency, and coherence.”