Background Part 2: Courts and Justice Section 31: Making, and use, of recordings of Supreme Court proceedings
50.Upon the creation of the UK Supreme Court, section 47 of the CRA lifted the prohibition against photography and filming in court contained in section 41 Criminal Justice Act 1925 in respect of photography and filming in the UK Supreme Court. Section 9 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, which prohibits sound recording in court and the broadcast of any such recording, was not amended. There is no suggestion that the practices of the UK Supreme Court or its predecessor are a form of contempt. However, in order to avoid any doubt when comparing section 47 of the CRA to section 32 of the Crime and Court Act 2013, which enables broadcasting in courts below the UK Supreme Court where permitted by Order, section 31 of the Act enables the UK Supreme Court to disapply section 9 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981.