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Bill to mandate cameras in US Supreme Court advances

Bill to mandate cameras in US Supreme Court advances

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The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced legislation that would require U.S. Supreme Court proceedings to be televised.

The Cameras in the Courtroom Act, S. 1945, would require all proceedings at the Court to be broadcasted unless the majority of justices vote that such a broadcast would violate the due process rights of one or more of the parties to the proceedings.

“Our Constitution requires that the government be accountable to the people. The best way we can ensure that the federal government is accountable is to create transparency, openness, and access,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a co-sponsor of the bill, in a statement after it was advanced by the committee. “That’s why the Cameras in the Courtroom bill is necessary. It would permit all Americans, not just the 200 people who can fit inside the public gallery, the opportunity to observe what is already a public proceeding. This is a tremendous opportunity which would help increase understanding of, and appreciation for, the highest court in the land.”

The House companion bill, H.R. 3572, awaits action in the House Judiciary Committee.

Grassley is author of another bill, the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act, S. 410, which would allow the chief judge of a federal trial or appellate court to decide whether to allow cameras during court proceedings, based on nonbinding guidelines that would be established by the Judicial Conference.

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