Free press-fair trial in Britain and America

This article is a comparative examination of how the free press-fair trial issue is treated in Britain and America. Results of the study indicate that the British have very strict rules regarding trial publicity and media interference with the administration of justice. The United States, on the other hand, has sought to satisfy the First Amendment rights of the press and the Sixth Amendment rights of the accused through a judicial balancing of the competing interests. Consequently, the American people are much better informed about the workings of the criminal justice system than is the British public. The study concludes with proposals to reform the British system, especially the law of contempt.