The Gazette 1995

MAY/JUNE 1995

| back to Donnybrook by courier, where television sub-editors cut the pictures in accordance with my instructions. RTE's mobile outside broadcast van ! has brought a new dimension to court J reporting, as I may now also be required to do a live interview with the newscaster on the one o'clock news. That can be difficult, particularly when the earpiece doesn't I fit, the traffic is so loud that I can't hear the questions and the local gurriers are all jumping up and i down behind me, shouting abuse at the camera! As well as exterior pictures, RTE now has a reasonably large file of pictures of the interior of the Four Courts, showing the Supreme Court, the Round Hall, the High Court and the I Law Library. Those have all been | filmed since 1990 with the permission : of the former Chief Justice and the Bar Council. I believe they give an additional impact to stories that would otherwise be visually flat and uninteresting, by acquainting the viewing public with the interiors of ! their courts. Graphics can add an extra visual dimension to a story, but they take Í time to prepare. They must also be absolutely accurate, so it's often necessary to check quotes against the text of a judgment. Between one and two o'clock, I may do an interview for the News At One, file copy or check on other cases. At two o'clock, it's back into court for the continuation of the morning case. It's important to check that nothing vital was missed between the time I left to file the lunchtime story and the court rising for lunch. Occasionally a judge may make a ruling while I am i colleagues, it would be easy to find j myself unaware of the ruling and j possibly filing a story which could be , construed as contempt. ! Another perpetual danger is defamation. In every case, both sides watch the RTE news reports carefully Í and, frequently, one side (usually the losing side in a civil case) is unhappy ' about the coverage. That can lead to out of court and, without the assistance of my newspaper

threats of legal action against RTE. Fortunately - so far - there have been no successful defamation actions against RTE because of any story I j have broadcast, but it is an ever- present concern. Towards the end of the afternoon, I start to think about the evening bulletins. Most days, Today At Five will look for a report, which may be recorded in advance for broadcast on Radio 1 between 5pm and 6pm. The 6.30 radio bulletin generally looks for longer pieces than the News At One, so I file a new audio package from my office. I may do an updated voiceover and piece to camera for the 6.01 TV news. That piece will usually stand for the nine o'clock television news. | Exceptionally, it may need to be re-edited. On a quiet day, I try to get away from the office between 4.30 and 6.30 for lectures at the King's Inns. Afterwards, I return to the office to tidy up, answer correspondence, do my filing and prepare for the next day's work. But, not infrequently, cases linger on beyond four o'clock. (In one case last year, at five past four on a Friday afternoon, a bored judge thoughtfully told senior counsel: "Let's leave it until Monday. Mr Wood has lectures to go to!") In the past, juries in criminal cases could stay out until the early hours of the morning. But, following the trial of Private Sean Courtney, where we were still filming after 2am, juries are now generally sent to hotels around 8pm. The work of a legal affairs correspondent is invariably interesting, occasionally tedious, infrequently dangerous, often wearing, but always varied. I shall miss it.

International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) ANNUAL CONFERENCE WASHINGTON 14-18 AUGUST 1995 The annual AIJA conference takes place this year in Washington D.C.. Typically AIJA conferences attract approximately 600 participants consisting of lawyers from about 50 ! countries representing major firms and sole practices. Among this year's subjects (conducted in English or French with Í simultaneous translation) are: • Litigating against the State • Family Law Mediation • Options available to Foreign Bidders in Public Procurement i • How Brussels Works and How to Make it Work for You ! • Arbitration of Intellectual Property Rights • AIDS and the Law • SATT Franchising and | Distribution In addition to a full work programme, the conference organisers have arranged an ! extensive social programme, including receptions, visits to the Smithsonian Institute and hospitality at the home of a local lawyer. The conference is centred at the Mayflower Hotel and seminars and meetings take place in Georgetown University Law Centre. Cost to include attendance at all seminars, social events, receptions and dinner each night (Monday through Friday) is US$799, with a lower price for members under 30.

For further information or a brochure, contact Petria

*Kieron Wood has been Legal Affairs Correspondent of RTE since 1990. He has just completed his final Bar exams.

McDonnell, McCann FitzGerald, Tel: 0 1 - 8 2 9 0000. Brochures are . also available from the Law Society ! desk at the Four Courts.

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