Most in riots had criminal records LONDON — Criminal court proceedings in England could be televised for the first time to improve public confidence in the justice system, a senior minister said Tuesday. The move comes after criticizm that some courts had handed out excessive sentences to many of those found guilty of taking part in a wave of rioting across the country last month. Justice Minister Ken Clarke said the government was considering televising courts and said allowing in cameras would “demystify” the legal process. “There is no good reason for not allowing people to see the judge (and) hear the sentence in the judge's own words with his explanation rather than perhaps the way it might be reported afterwards,” Clarke said. But he said he would take a cautious approach to prevent the presence of cameras turning courts into “theatre”. Broadcasters who have been lobbying for cameras to be allowed to film trials in England and Wales say the public would have better understood sentences in riot cases if the judge's remarks had been televised. One man was jailed for six months for stealing bottles of water worth just 3.50 pounds, while two others received sentences of four years for inciting people to riot on a Facebook page, even though their postings caused no violence. The English courts have long resisted the televising of proceedings to bring them in line with practices in other countries. Many judges fear their cases would turn into fodder for prime time television as happened with the so-called “trial of the century” of O.J. Simpson in the United States. Clarke's justice ministry said he would consult with senior judges over the broadcasters' proposals, which would initially restrict coverage to the sentencing and the judge's remarks. Clarke said the more sedate proceedings of appeal hearings would be the best place to first introduce cameras, before moving onto actual criminal trials. Three-fourths of those arrested in Britain's riots last month had criminal records, London's mayor said Tuesday, blaming the UK's criminal justice system to failing to turn offenders away from crime. “What was going to make you more likely to riot? It was previous contact with the police, and that's the problem that we need to tackle,” Mayor Boris Johnson told the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee. The four days of rioting, triggered by a fatal police shooting Aug. 4 in north London's Tottenham neighborhood, were the worst civil disturbances to hit Britain since the 1980s. Five people were killed and scores of stores were looted and buildings burned in several cities, including London and Birmingham. The Ministry of Justice says more than 1,500 people have been arrested and have appeared in court to answer charges from the riots. Some 22 percent of them were aged 10 to 17, and 91 percent were male. Johnson said three in four had a criminal record, but a full 83 percent of those arrested have had previous contact with police.
