Assange judge makes history by allowing tweeting from court

LONDON - The judge in the bail hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was Wednesday reported to have scored a legal first by giving official permission for tweeting from the court.

Chief magistrate Howard Riddle, dressed in judge’s robe and wig, broke with centuries of legal history when he said that tweeting could go ahead, provided it was “quiet and doesn’t disturb anything”, the Times legal correspondent reported.

Although tweeting has been happening in British court rooms for some time, his permission marked the first formal judicial acknowledgement of it, the Times said.

It follows concern expressed recently by Britain’s Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, about the tweeting of potentially prejudicial material from court.

But Tuesday, one excited reporter told his Twitter followers: “In an amazing nod to the fact that we live in digital age, judge has said we can tweet.”