Justice system must figure out social media: top judge

From CTV:

The verdict is in from the country's top judge: the justice system must learn to deal with social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.

That's because a free press and an independent judiciary have an "indispensable" role to play in a democracy that is committed to the rule of law, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said Tuesday.

In a speech to students at Carleton University, McLachlin said the media in general are essential to building public trust in the administration of justice.

But she says newspapers, radio and television are "old technology" at a time when anyone with a keyboard can create a blog and call themselves a journalist.

She wondered whether fairness and accuracy might be lost in the world of Facebook, tweets and instant messaging, which she says are part of a profound, cultural shift in how people communicate.

"Some bloggers will be professionals and academics providing thoughtful commentary and knowledge," she said. "Others will fall short of basic journalistic standards. Will accuracy and fairness be casualties of the social media era?

"What will be the consequences for public understanding of the administration of justice and confidence in the judiciary? How can a medium such as Twitter inform the public accurately or adequately in 140 characters or less of the real gist of a complex constitutional decision?"