Courts in the dark ages when it comes to communications, say experts
No tweeting, texting or even drawing allowed, leading bemused observers to say it's time rules caught up with the 21st century
When it comes to information technology, Hong Kong's courts are years behind others the world over, say two legal scholars calling for a review of the judiciary's policy on the use of communication tools in court.
The city's courts forbid any form of live text-based communication, including sending e-mails and Twitter reporting.
Drawing is not allowed in court; photography is banned even in the hallways, and even the judiciary's website is outdated and user-unfriendly, the scholars say.
"Hong Kong's judiciary has not kept up with technological advances adopted by other modern societies to help citizens and journalists monitor and report on how justice is administered in the courts," said University of Hong Kong media law professor Doreen Weisenhaus.
She said Britain's Supreme Court judges began reading out judgment summaries on video-sharing website YouTube early this year. Supreme Court hearings had been made available live online since 2011, and people in court were generally free to send and receive texts.
"This is the 21st century. This is how journalists work. Live text-based communication is taking place anyway - whether the journalists do it in the courtroom or they go outside to send the text through," said Weisenhaus, a former US prosecutor.