Controversy over court documents on the Internet
Publish date: 01 December 2004
Issue Number: 1058
Diary: Legalbrief eLaw
Category: Privacy
The controversy over whether or not court records should be available online has driven many US courts to appoint special commissions to deal with the issue, reports Wired News.
On one hand, some argue, is the right of Americans to know how they\'re being governed. On the other, is the question of the erosion of privacy, threats to private lives and even physical danger. The developments are part of a debate that has been brewing for a long time: everyone agrees that the public should be able to look at documents to see if the court system is working in their best interest, but no one is certain how to handle the widespread availability of medical records or personal information. Read the Wired News report