Nova Scotia judge impressed with courtroom live-tweeting

HALIFAX – A judge in Nova Scotia says he can’t get over the positive impact live-tweeting inside the courtroom has had.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy let journalists use Twitter to cover the criminal trial of Lyle Howe, a Halifax lawyer convicted of sexual assault.

He said live-tweeting is the closest thing to gavel-to-gavel coverage he has seen.

At least one lawyer is making use of the play-by-play reporting.

During the Howe trial crown attorney Darcy MacPherson printed out tweets from the media to use as an extra set of reference notes.

He says the tweets allowed him to catch things he might otherwise have missed.

The provincial judiciary relaxed the rules around Twitter in the courtroom earlier this year.

Kennedy says the move is part of the legal system’s attempt to improve access to justice through better communication.

He says he intends to go further and eventually introduce video broadcasting of criminal court proceedings.

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