Release Video Footage?

meglome

Let's imagine you had video footage of a very nasty assault that took place in a public street from your security camera. You've given this to the Gardai but you're pretty horrified with what you've seen so you're wondering should you also give it to the media. The worry would be that this would have some impact on any potential court proceedings. What would peoples views be on this?

seamus

That's a good question, I'd be interested to hear the answer. The one concern I can see from your POV is whether or not this was private property/a private place. If that's the case, you may not have permission to distribute any such video, even if you had a "Security Cameras in Operation" sign.

Anything else I suspect is not your concern, but a concern of whatever media outlet decided to publish it.

meglome

Well lets say it's a public place and the camera is outside.

Queen-Mise

meglome wrote: »

Well lets say it's a public place and the camera is outside.

how about making a phone call to the rte legal/media department and ask them, they will know any of the potential shortfalls with regards showing this kind of assault.

Pat Mustard

Negative media publicity has been used as grounds by defence lawyers to argue that the accused would not be capable of receiving a fair trial, so could benefit the perpetrator of the assault.

If you are concerned for the victim, then consider keeping a few copies of the cctv footage for their potential civil case, or application to the criminal injuries compo tribunal.

timmywex

The Mustard wrote: »

Negative media publicity has been used as grounds by defence lawyers to argue that the accused would not be capable of receiving a fair trial, so could benefit the perpetrator of the assault.

If you are concerned for the victim, then consider keeping a few copies of the cctv footage for their potential civil case, or application to the criminal injuries compo tribunal.

+1

Could easily prejudice any kind of trial that might happen

timmywex

timmywex wrote: »

+1

Could easily prejudice any kind of trial that might happen

The front page of todays Evening Herald contains a full page photograph of a still taken from a CCTV tape showing an armed robbery in progress in a National Irish Bank branch. The headline reads: "Find This Brute" and the accompanying text is of a similar standard of journalism.

Given the delight of the Herald, as well as that other bastion of crime "journalism" the Sunday World, in printing stories such as these and making public persona's for Ireland's gangland criminals surely the common sense approach of the courts now would be to say that unless the media coverage is so pejorative and widespread as to make it impossible for the accused to gain a fair trial that the coverage will not be deemed to prejudice the trial.

El Camino

Is there some potential that you might be exposing yourself to any kind of Data Protection issue. A persons image is regarded as their personal information, just as much as thier bank account details. So passing this around or making it widely available could leave you in some trouble yourself. Might be worth considering before doing anything.

http://www.dataprotection.ie/viewdoc.asp?m=m&fn=/documents/guidance/cctv.htm