KEEPING ACCUSED CRIMINALS’ NAMES OFF THE WEB?

A judge has today taken the unprecedented step of banning news websites from naming two men charged with murder while allowing newspapers, radio stations and TV networks to reveal who they are.

Judge David Harvey said online media could not use the names, or publish images of the accused, to prevent the public searching for the information when the case comes to trial.

He said he was “concerned about someone Googling someone’s name and being able to access it later”.

He was also “concerned about the viral effect of digital publication”.

Hmm. This sentence makes me think that the usual press-freedom crowd may not object: “To find out who the men are you can buy tomorrow’s New Zealand Herald.”