Hammer of the law must come down on social media misconduct, says judge

A retired appeal court judge who is leading an independent review into how the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland deals with serious sexual offence cases has said there must be a crackdown on the misuse of social media during such cases.
Justice John Gillen. Pic by PacemakerJustice John Gillen. Pic by Pacemaker
Justice John Gillen. Pic by Pacemaker

Sir John Gillen, whose review follows the high profile court case that saw Ulster and Ireland rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding found not guilty of rape, suggested that due to the use of social media, members of the public could be banned from attending some court cases in future.

“The hammer of the law will have to come down on misconduct in terms of social media. The complainant is meant to be anonymous. It is a crucial protection for complainants,” he told BBC Radio 4.

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Justice Gillen said the sharing of comment and pictures on social media during court cases has “a detrimental effect on the administration of justice”.

Following the conclusion of the case against Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding, solicitors for both men condemned the “vile” and “gratuitously abusive” commentary on social media and called for changes to the legal system here.