Trial - by Television !

The decision by the government of South Africa to allow parts of the Oscar Pistorius trial to be shown live on television  opens an interesting can of worms involving the impartiality of the justice system.  Many people will remember events from twenty years ago, when American O.J.Simpson faced court on murder charges and his trial was televised in it's entirety.

There is a similarity here.   Both O.J.Simpson and Oscar Pistorius achieved fame on the sporting field, and Pistorius has added fame in the medical sense because he is known as the " Blade Runner ".   Both went on trial for murder - and the events surrounding the alleged killings are controversial and widely open to public speculation.

The O.J.Simpson trial at times descended into farce over the fit of a glove. It led to acquittal, but then an " economic " trial followed and Simpson was stripped of his assets when that court delivered a different verdict.   It is likely that the trial of Oscar Pistorius will attract a world wide following.

Many people will contend that a murder trial has no place being played out like a television sit-com for the entertainment of the masses.   Simpson faced a judge and jury while Pistorius will be tried by a judge alone, but media hoopla will bring public expectations - and this will put pressure on everybody connected to the trial.   There will be a tendency for barristers to " ham it up " to burnish their public image.

Whatever happened to the calming influence of a courtroom where strict rules of evidence applied ?  A decision was supposed to be made on the evidence alone and any form of theatrics was frowned upon. When a trial is conducted in the public domain the media attitude will influence public thinking and it is quite possible that this will result in people demonstrating in the streets to try and achieve their preferred outcome.

The trial may even intrude into the political arena.   This is a " gun death " and the anti gun lobby may use the publicity to enhance their " ban the gun " message.   Allowing the trial to be televised is a step into the unknown.  A lot will depend on how the television industry reacts and whether this develops into a race for ratings between various channels.  If that happens, you can be certain that " breaking news " tactics will be employed to sensationalize events as news items.

This televising decision also sets a precedent.   In future there will be pressure for high profile trials to be accorded similar treatment.  If nothing else, that will make witnesses reluctant to appear and face the public examination that may reveal factors of their personal lives that they would prefer to keep secret.

The world should have learned a lesson from the O.J.Simpson debacle.    Nothing good can come of putting justice into the category of entertainment !