Court gags e.tv on baby Jordan murder

e.tv has expressed disappointment and concern about a Cape High Court ruling preventing the television station from broadcasting a programme on the baby Jordan Norton murder.

28 Aug 2005

The show was due to be broadcast on e.tv's curent affairs programme 3rd Degree on 2 August 2005. Following an urgent application by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), e.tv agreed to postpone the broadcast pending a High Court hearing on the matter.

The High Court ruled on Friday that e.tv may not broadcast the programme unless it allows the DPP to preview the show before it goes to air.

e.tv channel director Bronwyn Keene-Young says: "This ruling creates a dangerous precedent for the South African media. In practice it could prohibit the media from reporting on pending criminal proceedings until such reports have been vetted by the state. This may effectively allow for pre-censorship of news and current affairs by the state."

e.tv has applied for leave to appeal against the High Court ruling. This application has been postponed.