Supreme Judicial Court Judiciary-Media Committee
Guidelines on the Public's Right of Access to Judicial Proceedings and Records
March 15, 2000
Dear Judges, Clerk-Magistrates, Media Representatives:
The Guidelines on the Public's Right of Access to Judicial Proceedings and Records were developed by the Supreme Judicial Court's Judiciary/Media Steering Committee in an effort to assist you in identifying relevant court rules, statutes and case law covering a variety of issues which relate to judicial proceedings. These Guidelines have not been promulgated by the Supreme Judicial Court or the Trial Court, and, therefore, should not be regarded as binding. The Guidelines are intended to aid you as an additional professional resource and are to be used with your discretion.
As Co-Chairs of the Judiciary/Media Steering Committee, we wish to acknowledge the considerable efforts of Hon. E. Susan Garsh, an Associate Justice of the Superior Court and a member of the Judiciary/Media Steering Committee, for producing these Guidelines on behalf of the Committee. We also wish to thank Abigail Roth, a former SJC law clerk, and Andrew Varcoe, a present clerk, for their able assistance with this project.
We hope that these Guidelines will be a valuable resource to the judiciary and the media for the benefit of the public. The materials may be reproduced without obtaining permission from the Judiciary/Media Steering Committee. If you have questions concerning these Guidelines, contact the SJC's Public Information Office at (617) 557-1114.
John M. Greaney, Co-Chair
Associate Justice,
Supreme Judicial Court
Larry A. McDermott, Co-Chair
Publisher,
Springfield Union-News
and Sunday Republican